Multi-Million Verdicts for Plaintiffs in Talcum Powder Lawsuits
An Oregon jury in state court returned a $260 million verdict in June in the latest trial of Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based and asbestos-contaminated baby powder and whether it caused plaintiffs’ cancers.
Women Used Baby Powder and Developed Mesothelioma
The Multnomah County jury, reports the Courtroom View Network, awarded $200 million in punitive damages and $60 million in compensatory damages to plaintiff Kyung Lee, 48, and her husband. They claim she developed mesothelioma from inhaling asbestos in Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder.
An Illinois court ordered Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue, a company they spun off, to pay $45 million to a family that claimed talcum powder caused another woman’s fatal case of mesothelioma.
Theresa Garcia died in July 2020, according to Forbes, after she was diagnosed with the asbestos-caused cancer. Her family claims Garcia frequently used the companies’ talcum-based baby powder. Their attorneys showed evidence that the powder was contaminated with asbestos, and her daily use of the powder resulted in her inhaling at least some of it.
Kenvue was Johnson & Johnson’s consumer healthcare division until it became an independent company in August 2023. The jury decided that it was 70% responsible for Garcia’s death, and Johnson & Johnson was 30% to blame. Johnson & Johnson announced they would appeal the decision against them.
Johnson & Johnson also won a similar Florida lawsuit in April after the jury decided the company’s baby powder didn’t cause the plaintiff’s ovarian cancer, which resulted in her death. As of December, the company faced about 50,000 lawsuits claiming baby powder contaminated with asbestos caused plaintiffs’ cancers and deaths.
50,000 Lawsuits and a Failed $8.9 Billion Settlement Offer
In April 2023, the company proposed that current and future cases be resolved through an $8.9 billion trust fund created through bankruptcy proceedings. The bankruptcy court refused that offer, ruling Johnson & Johnson didn’t qualify for bankruptcy protection. The company came up with $700 million to settle a lawsuit by 42 states’ attorneys’ general claiming the company’s baby powder advertising and marketing was deceptive.
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If you have mesothelioma or another asbestos-related cancer after using Johnson & Johnson baby powder, you may be entitled to compensation. Call our Louisville office toll-free at 855-385-9532 to discuss your situation and how Satterley & Kelley, PLLC can help. You may also complete our contact form for a free initial consultation.