Johnson & Johnson Talc-Asbestos Verdict Upheld, Award Cut

The Missouri Court of Appeals upheld a landmark jury verdict that said long-term use of Johnson & Johnson’s talc products, possibly contaminated with asbestos fibers, had caused ovarian cancer in 22 women. The Court of Appeals also reduced the earlier, record-setting award for punitive and compensatory damages from $4.69 billion to $2.1 billion. A Johnson & Johnson spokesperson said the company would appeal again with the Supreme Court of Missouri. Johnson & Johnson has been flooded with more than 19,000 lawsuits in U.S. state and federal courts over its talc products, the majority of which pertain to ovarian cancer. Some of the lawsuits, however, involve malignant mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure. Results in recent trials have been mixed, with the company winning about half and appealing almost all of those it lost. Johnson & Johnson Stands by Its Talc Products Johnson & Johnson continues to insist its products are safe to use, but in May announced that it would stop selling its iconic, talc-containing Johnson’s Baby Powder in the U.S. and Canada. The company cited a declining consumer demand and “misinformation around the safety of the product and the constant barrage of litigation advertising.” In 2019, Johnson & Johnson recalled more than 30,000 bottles of baby powder after FDA scientists said they had discovered traces of asbestos in one bottle. Johnson & Johnson later said its own test of the...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news