On July 12, 2018, Missouri’s St. Louis Circuit Court upheld the decision to award 22 plaintiffs $4.7 billion on the basis of asbestos being present in Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder. Johnson & Johnson vehemently denied the presence of the carcinogenic substance in their talcum powder, but the jury verdict maintained that the company knew their talc-based products were contaminated.
Though asbestos is a known carcinogen that sometimes occurs in talc, it is taken out of the talc used in baby powder. Scientists have been unable to identify how talcum contamination occurs, and whether the contamination is responsible for ovarian cancer. However, during the trial, scientists testified that the tissue with the cancer cells were also contaminated with asbestos and talcum.
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The plaintiffs claim that the talcum powder is contaminated with asbestos. According to them, Johnson & Johnson have known about the issues with their talcum products but have worked to hide all testing information. Johnson & Johnson has also allegedly altered reports in order to make their products appear more favorable.
The 22 plaintiffs and their families were awarded $550 million in compensatory damages and $4.14 billion in punitive damages for the products causing or contributing to ovarian cancer. The case against Johnson & Johnson is one of the largest cases won against the multi-billion-dollar company, with each plaintiff in the class action suit winning $25 million dollars.
While Johnson & Johnson plans to appeal the judgement in the near future, their legal battles are hardly over. The company still has pending cases regarding the exposure of asbestos in Johnson & Johnson products causing mesothelioma.
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If you feel that talcum powder resulted in ovarian cancer for you or a loved one, a passionate defective product attorney is ready to help you defend your rights against the responsible party. Please do not hesitate to reach out to a devoted attorney if you feel that you have a viable case. Call today to set up a free consultation to learn more.
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