As reported by The New York Times, an appellate court in Missouri has upheld over $2 billion in damages against health-products giant Johnson & Johnson, finding that the company was aware of asbestos contamination in its talc for at least 50 years but did not warn consumers. The judge did reduce the verdict from $4.7 billion to $2.1 billion, but refused to eliminate the punitive damages after the evidence at trial showed that Johnson & Johnson’s conduct was “outrageous because of evil motive or reckless indifference.”
The court ordered Johnson & Johnson and a subsidiary to pay $2.1 billion in damages to women who were able to link their ovarian cancers to the company’s talcum products, including J&J’s iconic baby powder.
The decision comes after a series of recent legal victories won by women against talc manufacturers for cancer they alleged was caused by long-term usage of talcum bath products, including those manufactured by Johnson & Johnson. As of March 2020, nearly 19,400 plaintiffs had filed lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson in the U.S. over its talc-containing Johnson’s Baby Powder. The company also announced last month that it would stop selling talc-containing baby powder in the U.S. and Canada. Learn more about the connections that have been found between cancer and long-term talc use.
Read the full article on The New York Times site.
Contact a Talc Injury Lawyer at Lieff Cabraser
If you, a friend, or a family member are a long-time (6 years or more) user of talcum powder products made by Johnson & Johnson or another talc product manufacturer, and have received a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, you have the right to seek fair compensation. Please call us today at 1 800 541-7358 or visit our Talcum Powder Ovarian Cancer Injuries page to contact Wendy Fleishman or Tiseme Zegeye about your talc injury case.
We will help you gather the information and file the claims needed to seek recompense for any injuries, suffering, or related harm, and we will review your claim for free, confidentially, and with no obligation on your part.
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