Asbestos & Mesothelioma Law Blog
A Florida state jury recently handed down a substantial $9 million verdict in a talcum powder asbestos cancer lawsuit brought by an 82-year-old woman who claimed she developed mesothelioma from years of using talc-based products contaminated with carcinogens. The talcum powder cancer lawsuit named New Jersey-based pharmaceutical and cosmetics giant Johnson & Johnson as the defendant, claiming that the company knew for decades about the risk of asbestos in its talcum powder products but provided no warnings to consumers.
The verdict comes just days after a New Jersey jury handed down an even larger verdict on behalf of four plaintiffs who claimed they too developed various forms of cancer from using Johnson & Johnson’s iconic Baby Powder. In that case, the jury determined that the plaintiffs were entitled to $750 million in compensatory and punitive damages, though that verdict will be reduced in accordance with New Jersey state law.
In the Florida case, the Miami jury heard testimony that Johnson & Johnson executives knew as far back as the 1960s that talc mined from deposits in Vermont and Italy contained asbestos fibers but failed to provide any warning to consumers about the risks of asbestos exposure. As a result of years of exposure to asbestos fibers in Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder, the plaintiff developed mesothelioma, a rare and deadly form of cancer that commonly affects thin linings of tissue surrounding vital organs such as the lungs, abdomen, and heart.
Although talc itself does not contain asbestos, the two are both naturally occurring minerals that can often be found side by side one another in deposits. If companies mining and processing talc do not take precautions to prevent cross contamination, innocent consumers may be harmed as a result of such negligence. Johnson & Johnson’s long time talc supplier Imerys Talc USA filed for bankruptcy last year under the weight of thousands of talcum powder asbestos cancer lawsuits it was enjoined with the company.
Johnson & Johnson itself faces an estimated 17,000 talcum powder lawsuits in state and federal courts across the country. To date, juries in Missouri, California, and New Jersey have handed down over $5 billion in total compensation to dozens of plaintiffs who claim they developed mesothelioma and other serious forms of cancer as a result of using Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower. Of the lawsuits it has faced, Johnson & Johnson has chosen to settle very few of these cases, including one just a week before in New York brought by a 62-year-old woman who claimed she developed mesothelioma cancer from using Johnson & Johnson talcum powder products.
Nationwide Mesothelioma Lawyer
If you or a loved one were diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact our office to speak to one of our experienced mesothelioma attorneys about your situation. Our office can help investigate your case and determine if compensation can be sought from negligent parties to help pay for your medical treatment to help you and your family live a more comfortable life.