Johnson & Johnson Suffers Another Significant Blow in Talc Litigation

Johnson & Johnson Suffers Another Significant Blow in Talc Litigation

Coming on the heels of a $300 million verdict in New York state court, Johnson & Johnson was recently ordered to pay $12 million to another woman diagnosed with mesothelioma after using talc-based cosmetic products by a California jury. On June 12, an Alameda County Superior Court jury found that both Colgate-Palmolive and Johnson & Johnson failed to warn about known risks associated with their talcum powder products.

Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, heart, abdomen and other internal organs. Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos fibers, is often diagnosed in older individuals who worked with or around asbestos products years or even decades earlier. Tragically, family members of such individuals are also susceptible to contracting mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos fibers carried into their homes by exposed workers who share the home.  Talcum powder and asbestos are mined minerals that often run close together, and intermix, in seams under the earth.

In the most recent case, the plaintiff claimed in her lawsuit that she got mesothelioma after using Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder products and Colgate-Palmolive’s Cashmere Bouquet throughout her life. The verdict award was for compensatory damages. The jury ended up at an impasse on whether Johnson & Johnson acted with malice to warrant punitive damages. As with its other prior talc losses, J & J intends to appeal this verdict baby powder does not contain asbestos or cause cancer. Currently J & J faces more than 13,000 talc related lawsuits.

If you believe that you have contracted ovarian cancer or mesothelioma from exposure to talcum powder products, you should contact an experienced law firm right away to explore the possibility of a claim.