Talc powder cancer case: Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $966 million
A court in California on Monday (October 6) ordered J&J to pay $16 million in compensatory damages and $950 million in punitive damages, according to court filings
US healthcare company Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has been ordered by a Los Angeles jury to pay a whopping $966 million to the family of a woman who died from mesothelioma, ruling that the company’s talc-based baby powder caused her cancer.
Mae Moore, an 88-year-old California resident, died due to mesothelioma in 2021. The same year, her family sued Johnson and Johnson, claiming that the company’s talc baby powder products contained asbestos fibres that caused her rare cancer, Reuters news agency reported.
What J&J said on verdict
A court in California on Monday (October 6) ordered J&J to pay $16 million in compensatory damages and $950 million in punitive damages, according to court filings, the report added.
Also read: Johnson & Johnson to end sales of baby powder with talc globally
The company said it will appeal the verdict, calling it “egregious and unconstitutional,” and maintained that its talc products are safe and asbestos-free.
“We will immediately appeal this egregious and unconstitutional verdict that is directly at odds - in result and amount - with the vast majority of other talc cases wherein the company has prevailed,” Erik Haas, Worldwide Vice President of Litigation at J&J, said in a statement.
What Moore’s family lawyers said
“It took this family five years to get their day in court and we're pleased the jury concluded J&J should be held accountable,” said lawyer Jessica Dean, who represented Moore’s family.
Also read: Explained: Why WHO thinks talcum powder may cause cancer
Another lawyer, Trey Branham, said that his team is “hopeful that Johnson & Johnson will finally accept responsibility for these senseless deaths.”
As per reports, J&J is facing more than 67,000 cases alleging that its talc products caused cancer, primarily ovarian cancer.
Since 2020, J&J has stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the US, and has switched to a cornstarch product.
What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a cancer that forms in the mesothelium, the thin tissue that lines many internal organs.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mesothelioma is a rare cancer—2,669 cases were reported in the United States in 2022.
“Exposure to asbestos causes most cases of mesothelioma. Asbestos was used in many consumer products, automobile parts, and building materials in the 20th century before scientists learned about its dangers to health. The potential for asbestos exposure in the United States peaked in the 1970s but has since declined as U.S. asbestos mines were closed and asbestos-containing products and materials were withdrawn from the market,” CDC said.
“The decline in asbestos exposure is reflected by declines in mesothelioma incidence rates. However, people can still be exposed to asbestos in some consumer products and older buildings,” it added.