J & J Must Stop Claiming Plaintiff Support of $8.9B Talc Settlement

A federal bankruptcy judge ordered a lawyer for Johnson & Johnson to stop making unsubstantiated claims about support for an $8.9 billion settlement for talc victims without being able to back them up.  The order came during a multiday court hearing in late June in Trenton, New Jersey. Plaintiffs’ attorneys investigated Johnson & Johnson’s public statements that claimed the company had “secured commitments from over 60,000 current claimants” in support of the settlement. Many plaintiffs claim Johnson’s Baby Powder and other products that contained toxic asbestos in their talcum powder caused ovarian cancer and mesothelioma.  Jim Murdica, a lawyer for Johnson & Johnson and lead negotiator on the settlement, told the court there are many law firms that support the deal, but would not name any when asked, according to reporting by Reuters news agency. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan, who is overseeing the proceedings, ordered Murdica to stop making certain claims about the support for the settlement without proof to support them.  “J&J, as one of the largest, most well-funded companies in the world, should not be permitted to escape the tort system for claims involving their asbestos-containing talc products,” Jim Kramer, shareholder at Simmons Hanly Conroy, told The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com. “We look forward to a ruling allowing victims to exercise their constitutional right to have a jury award d...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Asbestos Exposure Legal Source Type: news