Talcum Powder and Cancer

Reuters Report Claims Johnson & Johnson Knew for Decades About Asbestos Contamination in Talcum Powder Products

January 6, 2019 | Throneberry Law Group

A recent report by Reuters claims that pharmaceutical and cosmetics giant Johnson & Johnson knew for decades about the risk of asbestos contaminating its talc-based products, but did nothing to warn consumers about the dangers of exposure to the deadly carcinogen. Those claims come after the news outlet examined thousands of pages of internal company documents going back to the 1970s through the early 2000s that show Johnson & Johnson withheld information about asbestos from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

According to the article, Johnson & Johnson’s first recorded knowledge of potential asbestos contamination in its talc comes from 1957 and 1958 reports by a consulting lab describing contaminants in its products from the supplier. Those contaminants were described by the consulting lab as fibrous and acicular tremolite, one of the six-naturally occuring forms of asbestos.

Over the next several decades, other reports by Johnson & Johnson’s own scientists, outside consulting labs, and suppliers would show similar findings, including one identifying contaminants in the talc as “fiberform” and “rods.” Despite these obvious red flags, Johnson & Johnson chose not to put any warning labels on its talc-based products and allowed its potentially deadly items to remain on the market.

Pennsylvania Couple Files Asbestos Cancer Lawsuit Against Johnson & Johnson

December 20, 2018 | Throneberry Law Group

A Pennsylvania couple recently filed an asbestos cancer lawsuit in a Philadelphia court against several companies over allegations that the defendants knowingly manufactured and sold carcinogenic talc-based products that caused the victim’s cancer diagnosis. The asbestos lawsuit names cosmetics and pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, its talc supplier Imerys Talc USA, Rite Aid Corporation, and Walgreen Co. as defendants and seeks compensation for the victim’s injuries.

According to the asbestos cancer lawsuit, filed in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, the female plaintiff developed ovarian cancer after years of using talcum powder products manufactured by Johnson & Johnson with contaminated talc sourced by Imerys Talc USA. The plaintiff further alleges that she purchased the defective products at both Rite Aid and Walgreens stores throughout the years, which knew or should have known Johnson & Johnson’s products posed a danger to the public.

The plaintiffs’ lawsuit in this case is one of thousands Johnson & Johnson and Imerys Talc USA are facing across the country over allegations that the companies sold asbestos-contaminated talcum powder products for decades but did not put warning labels on items like Baby Powder and Shower to Shower. Some of those cases claim the victims developed ovarian cancer as a result, like the plaintiff in this case, while others assert their mesothelioma cancer diagnosis came about as a result of asbestos exposure from talc.

New York Judge Orders Johnson & Johnson to Stand Trial in Asbestos Talcum Powder Lawsuit

December 17, 2018 | Throneberry Law Group

A New York judge recently ordered pharmaceutical and cosmetics giant Johnson & Johnson to stand trial in an asbestos cancer lawsuit brought by a plaintiff who claims he developed an aggressive form of cancer due to carcinogenic materials contained in products manufactured by the defendant. Johnson & Johnson had filed a motion for summary judgement, seeking to have the case thrown out of court and avoid any liability for knowingly manufacturing deadly products without warning consumers about the risks.

According to the asbestos cancer lawsuit, filed in the Supreme Court of New York County, the plaintiff developed pleural mesothelioma at the age of 76 after decades of using Baby Powder and other talc-based products developed and sold by Johnson & Johnson. The plaintiff claims she did not suffer from any industrial asbestos exposure at her work place and that the only possible source for the exposure came from the carcinogenic asbestos in the talcum powders she used.

Although talc, a naturally occurring mineral, does not contain asbestos fibers itself, the two are often found in deposits side by side one another, which can cause a risk of contamination if certain precautions are not taken. Asbestos itself has been heavily regulated since the 1970s when the federal government enacted legislation to protect the public from the known risks of asbestos exposure. However, even before regulators stepped in, many companies were fully aware of the risks their products posed and continued to manufacture dangerously designed and defective materials.

Researcher in Talcum Mesothelioma Cancer Trial Testifies Talc Contained Asbestos

September 29, 2018 | Throneberry Law Group

A prominent asbestos researcher recently gave testimony in an asbestos mesothelioma cancer trial claiming that trace amounts of asbestos have been detected in talc sourced from mines in Vermont and Italy used in Johnson & Johnson products. That expert gave his testimony on behalf of a mesothelioma cancer patient who sued Johnson & Johnson over claims the company knew for decades about asbestos contamination in its talc-based products but refrained from placing any warning on product labels.

The case is the sixth such asbestos cancer lawsuit to go to trial against pharmaceutical and cosmetics giant Johnson & Johnson, with some naming its talc supplier Imerys USA as a co-defendant, blaming the company for causing mesothelioma. The plaintiff in this case filed her claim in Los Angeles County Superior court and named, among other defendants, Johnson & Johnson, Chanel, and their supplier Imerys.

Johnson & Johnson faces thousands of other lawsuits across the country by plaintiffs who claim they also developed various forms of cancer related to using talc-based products developed and sold by the company for decades. Recently, a Missouri jury awarded a group of 22 plaintiffs a total of $4.69 billion in compensatory and punitive damages for their asbestos cancer diagnosis that was caused by talc products marketed and sold by Johnson & Johnson. That very same verdict was also upheld by the trial court judge, clearing a major legal hurdle for plaintiffs trying to be made whole again.

Missouri Trial Judge Upholds $4.6 Billion Asbestos Talcum Powder Lawsuit Verdict

August 31, 2018 | Throneberry Law Group

A Missouri trial judge recently upheld a substantial $4.69 billion verdict in favor of 22 plaintiffs and their families in an asbestos talcum powder lawsuit against New Jersey-based pharmaceutical and cosmetics giant Johnson & Johnson. Soon after the judge upheld the verdict, Johnson & Johnson continued to deny responsibility in the case and vowed to appeal the decision and have the award overturned.

In his orders, the Circuit Court judge for the City of St. Louis noted there was no reason to further delay certification of the award for appeal and so affirmed the jury’s decision. Johnson & Johnson had chosen not to file any post judgement motions asking the court to reduce or set aside the verdict entirely, thus allowing it to take its case to state appeals courts to try and challenge the jury’s will on technical grounds.

The plaintiffs in the case alleged that they or their relatives developed various types of cancer, including mesothelioma, from years of using Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder, Shower to Shower, and other talc-based products developed by the company. While Johnson & Johnson denied its products contained talcum powder or had been talc-free for several decades, the plaintiffs showed internal company documents to the contrary.

St. Louis Jury Hands Down Substantial $550 Million in Asbestos Talcum Powder Lawsuit

August 29, 2018 | Throneberry Law Group

A St. Louis jury recently handed down a substantial $550 million verdict in an asbestos talcum powder lawsuit in which several women accused pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson of causing their serious medical conditions. The same jury will also decide whether or not to award additional punitive damages to the plaintiffs as compensation for higher counts of negligence alleged in the asbestos cancer lawsuit.

According to the talcum powder asbestos cancer lawsuit, filed in St. Louis Circuit Court, the 22 female plaintiffs developed ovarian cancer due to the asbestos-contaminated talc contained in products the victims used over a number of years. Sadly, six of the victims in this case passed away due to their ovarian cancer, leaving their surviving family members to carry on their claims and seek justice against powerful companies putting profits before people.

While Johnson & Johnson has claimed for years that its talc-based products are safe and contain no known carcinogens, juries across the country have disagreed, handing down significant verdicts on behalf of plaintiffs. Johnson & Johnson faces an estimated 9,000 talcum powder cancer lawsuits across the country, with plaintiffs alleging that the talc-based products they used caused their cancer diagnoses, including mesothelioma.

How Does Someone Get Cancer From Talcum Powder?

August 2, 2018 | Throneberry Law Group

Juries continue to rule against Johnson and Johnson, a major producer of talcum powder, in lawsuits brought by women with cancer who contend that the talc asbestos in the powder has caused it. J&J claims that its famous baby powder has never contained asbestos. However, juries have found the talcum powder industry’s defense less compelling than the plaintiffs’. A Missouri court has ordered J&J to compensate more than twenty women who contracted ovarian cancer after using talcum powder, for a total of over $4.6 billion in damages.

How Can Talcum Power Cause Cancer?

The claimants alleged that they contracted ovarian cancer from use of J&J products, including the company’s popular body powder, because the talcum products contained asbestos. J&J has announced its plans to appeal the case. The company is now faced with thousands of legal claims from cancer victims who believe they contracted ovarian cancer from talcum powder made by J&J.

Another jury rules against J&J over talc asbestos

July 26, 2018 | Throneberry Law Group

The American Cancer Society declares on its website that talcum powder-based products have been asbestos-free since the 1970s. Johnson & Johnson, one of the major manufacturers of such products, is equally vocal about claiming that its well-known talc-based baby powder does not, and never has, contained asbestos. Juries hearing claims to the contrary continue to cast doubt the industry position.

The latest reflection of this came in mid-July with a panel in Missouri ordering Johnson & Johnson to pay nearly $4.7 billion in compensatory and punitive damages to a group of 22 women. The women alleged that baby powder and other J&J talc-based products did contain asbestos and caused them to contract ovarian cancer. Johnson & Johnson vows to appeal the case. Meanwhile, the company is named in thousands of additional actions claiming talc-related cancer and they continue to work their way through the courts.

Many can and do propose the argument that there is no solid scientific evidence that there is any link between talc and ovarian cancer. But the fact remains that, in its natural state, asbestos appears in talc. And asbestos is known to cause cancer.

New Jersey State Judge Upholds $117 Million Plaintiff’s Verdict in Asbestos Talcum Powder Lawsuit

July 9, 2018 | Throneberry Law Group

A New Jersey judge recently upheld a substantial $117 million verdict in favor of two-plaintiffs in an asbestos talcum powder lawsuit against cosmetics and pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson and its talc supplier Imerys Talc. The award, originally handed down in April 2018, included $30 million in compensatory damages, $7 million for loss of consortium, and $80 million for a husband and wife.

The Middlesex County Superior Court judge in New Brunswick, New Jersey refused to grant Johnson & Johnson’s petition to set aside the verdict, potentially setting up another appeal to a higher state court. The jury’s award found Johnson & Johnson 70% liable for the plaintiffs’ damages and determined Imerys to be responsible for the remaining 30%. That verdict was the second such in two months for the two defendants, with a subsequent verdict in May 2018 awarding a 68-year-old plaintiff over $25 million in damages.

The asbestos talcum powder lawsuit alleged that the husband in the case developed mesothelioma, a rare and deadly form of cancer, from years of using talc-based products sold by Johnson & Johnson with materials sourced by Imerys Talc. The plaintiff claimed that he used the product from 1973 until roughly 2003 without knowing it contained deadly asbestos fibers, information he claimed Johnson & Johnson knew but kept from the public.

Talc Supplier Settles Claims with 22 Plaintiffs on Eve of Trial in Missouri

June 22, 2018 | Throneberry Law Group

A talc supplier for pharmaceutical and cosmetics giant Johnson & Johnson recently agreed to a settlement with 22 plaintiffs in an upcoming talcum powder cancer trial over allegations that the defendants’ talc-based products caused the victims’ cancer diagnosis. As part of the agreement, Imerys Talc SA will pay a total of at least $5 million, according to reports, to the plaintiffs to resolve the company’s liability in the case also involving Johnson & Johnson.

The settlement comes right before the start of a talcum powder cancer trial in U.S. District Court in Missouri pitting ovarian cancer victims who claim their decades of using talcum powder sold by Johnson & Johnson and sourced by Imerys caused their condition. With Imerys’ settlement, Johnson & Johnson remains the only defendant left in these particular, cases but the two parties face several thousand other lawsuits over claims that their talcum powder products caused cancer, including mesothelioma.