Talcum Powder Legal News Articles & Interviews

Alameda, CA: Patricia Schmitz, age 61, a mother of two with grandchildren and former school teacher, was diagnosed with mesothelioma last year and her doctors say she has little chance to survive. Her asbestos talc case states that J&J products caused the disease; J&J’s attorneys and expert witness argued her cancer was “spontaneous in nature”. The jury awarded Schmitz $12 million in damages.

South Carolina Donna Olson used J&J talc since she was a young girl, breathing in talc particles from the cloud she made. Teresa Leavitt’s mother used J&J’s baby powder on her as a baby in the 1960s and she continued to use it herself as a teen, powdering her face and hair daily for years. Both women testified in court last week and both women won their asbestos-talc lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson.

Oakland, CA On March 13, a jury in California Superior Court awarded Terry Leavitt and her husband $29.4 million in the first Johnson & Johnson (J&J) talcum powder lawsuit to go to trial in 2019. Ms. Leavitt linked her mesothelioma diagnosis to her use of asbestos-contaminated J&J baby powder and Shower-to-Shower talcum powder. The verdict includes $22 million for pain and suffering, $5 million in compensatory damages, nearly $1.3 million for her medical costs and $1.2 million for lost wages.

Washington, DC The long-running Johnson & Johnson (J&J) talcum powder lawsuits have now taken a strangely contemporary turn as long-silent witnesses, both in this world and the next, tell tales. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have subpoenaed corporate documents, and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) has requested information back to 1966. Could this end the corporate stonewalling that has stymied so many J&J talcum powder lawsuits for so long?

Three Forks, MT: Facing about 14,000 asbestos-talc cases claiming that talc causes ovarian cancer and mesothelioma, Imerys Talc America has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Court records indicate that defending a single case can cost Imerys $4 million and some juries have awarded damages up to $2.75 million against the company. Imerys is the sole supplier of cosmetic talc to Johnson & Johnson.

Santa Clara, CA: Despite a number of asbestos-talc lawsuits and studies to the contrary, Johnson & Johnson still stands by its talcum powder, asserting it doesn’t cause mesothelioma or ovarian cancer because their product sold to consumers never contained asbestos. J&J says plaintiffs are using attorney-driven science along with faulty studies. On the other hand, plaintiffs have brought scientific evidence showing studies linking talc exposure to cancer, adding that the giant pharma company knew the link for decades. As for the FDA, it’s still on the fence.

Los Angeles, CA Within two weeks of each other, two juries in California failed to reach a verdict on the same issues regarding asbestos-talc claims, resulting in two mistrials. Nine votes are needed for a verdict on claims that J&J was guilty of negligence, failure to warn about the risk of asbestos and marketing defective products. On Sept 24, the sixth J&J mesothelioma trial, the Los Angeles jury was deadlocked 8-4 against J&J – one juror short of victory for plaintiff Kirk Von Salzen. Bloomerg reported that Von Salzen, a retired computer salesman, had used J&J’s talcum powder for 30 years when he was diagnosed in 2017. He was seeking over $12m in damages. Despite the result, his attorney was “satisfied” that eight jurors ruled against J&J.

Los Angeles, CA: In the sixth talcum powder-cancer trial that began last month in California, Johnson & Johnson is accused of knowing its talcum powder contained asbestos, a carcinogen known to cause mesothelioma. Plaintiff Carolyn Weirick last year was diagnosed with the rare form of terminal cancer. She claims her illness was caused by using J&J’s baby powder.

St. Louis, MO: Johnson & Johnson plans to appeal the $4.69 billion verdict awarded on July 12 to 22 women and their families who alleged that ovarian cancer cases was caused by asbestos in the company’s baby powder, and that J&J failed to warn that its talcum powder raised the risk of ovarian cancer. Experts say that J&J will argue the verdict based on insufficient scientific evidence and jurisdiction. And this asbestos-talc case is one of about 9,000 that J&J is facing.

Austin, TX: By now, most everyone following the talcum powder lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson know the company is accused of failure to warn consumers about ovarian cancer risks. What they likely don’t know is that J&J isn’t required to disclose all the ingredients in their talc recipe. Attorney Mark Mueller urges the public to demand transparency…