Claims in Hair Straightening Products Case Time-Barred, Ga. Appellate Court Rules

ATLANTA — The Georgia Court of Appeals has ruled that product liability claims filed against the makers of hair-straightening products are barred under the state’s 10-year statue of repose because the triggering event was when the plaintiff first bought the products in 1995 and 2003.

In a June 21 opinion, the court rejected the plaintiff’s argument that each purchase and use of the products “constituted a new exposure to a new product” and that the “last sale” triggered the statute of repose.

However, the appellate court allowed the negligence claims to proceed, ruling they fall within an exception to the …