New Litagion agent profiles for ortho-toluidine and methyl-2-(benzol)benzoate
New cross-line clash liability disaster scenario centered on the climate and human health impacts of industrial meat production and consumption
New blog content: "Two new mass litigation events highlight risks posed by endocrine disruptors"
Litigation tracking now available for acetaminophen and hair relaxer
New Content
Litagion agents
Ortho-toluidine. Ortho-toluidine [CAS No. 95-53-4] is used as an intermediate in the synthesis of a number of high-volume chemical products. Its principal use is in the manufacture of dyes and pigments and synthetic rubber and rubber vulcanization accelerators. Other chemical products that employ ortho-toluidine include optical brighteners, anesthetic pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and laboratory reagents. Ortho-toluidine is also detected in some hair dyes.
Methyl-2-(benzol)benzoate. Methyl-2-(benzol)benzoate (MBB) [CAS No. 6962-60-3], a chemical relative of oxybenzone and benzophenone, is a photoinitiator. Photoinitiators are used in the production of a wide range of products including adhesives, inks, dental filling materials, and artificial tissues. Other applications of MBB include in food packaging, where it is used to absorb ultraviolet radiation, and as a preservative in food and beverages.
Liability disaster scenarios
Industrial meat: Greenhouse gas emissions and bodily injury. Americans consume more than 200 pounds of animal meat per capita annually. This meat is produced almost entirely in industrial facilities in which animals are bred, raised, and slaughtered. Meat consumption accounts for 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, is a major source of local air and water pollution, and is linked to a wide array of chronic disease conditions including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and type II diabetes. In this scenario, state and federal governmental plaintiffs file suit to recover damages attributable to industrial meat’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and the adverse effect of industrial meat consumption on the incidence of chronic disease in the United States.
Litigation tracking
Acetaminophen. The potential adverse health effects of acetaminophen have been litigated for more than a decade, with little success for plaintiffs. The plaintiffs' bar, however, has a new angle with allegations that the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy can lead to childhood autism. More than 110 lawsuits have been filed thus far in multidistrict litigation in the Southern District of New York. Along with the original patent holder, Johnson & Johnson, the lawsuits name major retailers including CVS, Walmart, Target, Walgreens, and Rite-Aid.
Hair straightener. The first phthalate focused mass litigation event began in October 2022 on the heels of a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reporting a strong association between the use of hair relaxer and the incidence of uterine cancer. The endocrine disrupting properties of phthalates is featured prominently in complaints. More than 95 lawsuits are now consolidated in multidistrict litigation in the Northern District of Illinois targeting L'Oreal and other companies who have marketed hair relaxer primarily to African American women and children for decades.
