Asbestos & Mesothelioma Law Blog
The outcome of one of the nation’s first talcum powder/mesothelioma trials could determine if Johnson & Johnson agrees to another massive settlement.
The trial, taking place amidst J&J’s ongoing efforts to settle thousands of talc-related ovarian cancer lawsuits, involves a male plaintiff who alleges he developed mesothelioma due to inhaling asbestos allegedly present in Johnson’s Baby Powder.
Evan Plotkin argues he developed mesothelioma in 2021 at the age of 64 after years of using talc-based cosmetic products, however J&J, which denies its talc products ever contained asbestos, maintains his mesothelioma likely did not develop from asbestos exposure but rather from a family medical history that supposedly made him more likely to get cancer.
The trial is being closely watched, both due to being the first in Connecticut and also as a potential indicator of whether or not J&J will eventually strike a large-scale settlement of talc mesothelioma claims like the company is working towards with ovarian cancer talc cases.
Talc-Asbestos
Underground mines are not like supermarket aisles. There is not gold in one mine and asbestos in another one, like the pancake syrup is on aisle four and the pasta is on aisle eight. All minerals mix together. Some deposits of some minerals are especially heavy in some areas.
Asbestos, talc, a softening ingredient in talcum powder, cosmetics, and other products, and vermiculite, an non-asbestos insulation mineral, are the most common cross-contamination issues a nationwide mesothelioma lawyer deals with.
Vermiculite-asbestos cross-contamination was largely confined to the Grace Company mine in Libby, Montana. The company extracted vermiculite, processed it, and sold it, but did not tell its customers that its product was laced with asbestos, even though company officials knew about the problem. The EPA fined Grace $250 million and forced it to set up a $2.9 billion victim compensation fund.
Talc cross-contamination is much more widespread. Talc and asbestos are chemically similar. Both substances are basically magnesium, silicone, and water. Therefore, some asbestos-talc cross-contamination was inevitable. Yet J&J officials did nothing to ensure product quality and even hid the evidence that asbestos fibers lurked in its talc products.
For a nationwide mesothelioma lawyer, the takeaway is clear. J&J had multiple chances to do the right thing and purify its talc-containing products. But it chose to do nothing and hoped it would not get caught. In other words, the company has made it bed, now it must lie in it, and a nationwide mesothelioma lawyer can obtain compensation for victims.
Mesothelioma
Most asbestos-talc cross-contamination victims claim that talcum powder resulted in cervical cancer. Asbestos fibers migrated from the genitals through the fallopian tubes to the cervix. A much smaller percentage of talc-asbestos cases are talc-mesothelioma cases.
Asbestos fibers often migrate through the body before they settle in any particular part of it. People who used asbestos-laced, talc-based products could easily develop this kind of heart-lung cancer.
Asbestos exposure almost always causes mesothelioma. This disease has a low survival rate, mostly because diagnosis issues create treatment issues.
Mesothelioma has about a fifty-year latency period. People who were exposed to asbestos in their 20s often do not show signs of illness until they reach their 70s. When trouble breathing and other telltale lung cancer symptoms arise, these victims and their doctors do not even consider cancer. After all, many older people have trouble breathing, and most mesothelioma victims do not have genetic or lifestyle risk factors.
Since doctors do not get a head start, they often do not diagnose mesothelioma until it reaches Stage III or even Stage IV. At that point, the combination of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation is often ineffective.
Count on a Savvy Asbestos Exposure Lawyer
Mesothelioma victims need and deserve significant compensation. For a confidential consultation with an experienced nationwide asbestos lawyer, contact the Throneberry Law Group. Virtual, home, and hospital visits are available.