Johnson & Johnson Hit with Another Talc Verdict

For the third time in less than a year, Johnson & Johnson has been hit with a multi-million dollar verdict in a talcum powder lawsuit. On October 27, 2016, a St. Louis jury awarded $70 million to a woman who alleged that her use of Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder led to her diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

Nearly $200 Million in Verdicts

All three cases were heard in the St. Louis Circuit Court. In February, jurors awarded $72 million to the family of a woman from Alabama who passed away due to ovarian cancer, while another jury awarded $55 million to a South Dakota woman in May. In the latest case, a jury awarded a California woman $65 in punitive damages, $2 million in compensatory damages and nearly $600,000 in medical damages. The jury also awarded $2.5 million in punitive damages against Johnson & Johnson’s talc supplier Imerys Talc.

Plaintiffs in all three cases said they used Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder for decades for feminine hygiene purposes. They alleged Johnson & Johnson know for years that talc use posed an increased risk for ovarian cancer yet failed to inform the public. One juror was quoted as saying that “Johnson & Johnson didn’t pay attention” to the dangers of talc, and also that “[i]t seemed like they didn’t care” about those risks.

It took jurors only three hours to reach their verdict.