Two women who claimed Johnson & Johnson's baby powder caused their ovarian cancer were awarded $40 million by a California jury. The massive health care organization said that it would challenge the jury's verdict. Here are the case's specifics.
On Friday, December 12, a California jury granted $40 million to two women who claimed that long-term usage of Johnson & Johnson's baby powder caused them to develop ovarian cancer.
In their testimonies, the two Californians stated that they had been using J&J's baby powder for around 40 years after taking a bath. They added that numerous rounds of chemotherapy and significant operations were necessary for their ovarian cancer treatments.
According to AP, the healthcare behemoth intends to appeal the jury's verdict regarding both the compensatory damages and the liability.
The most recent outcome of a protracted legal dispute is this court decision. According to the allegations, ovarian cancer or mesothelioma—a rare illness that affects the lungs and other organs—may have been brought on by J&J's talc-based products, such as Baby Powder and Shower to Shower body powder.
How much will each woman be paid by J&J?
According to Reuters, the Los Angeles Superior Court jury found that Johnson & Johnson had known for years that its talc-based products were dangerous but had neglected to warn consumers, and they ordered the company to pay $18 million to Monica Kent and $22 million to Deborah Schultz and her husband.
Schultz was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2018, whereas Kent was diagnosed in 2014, according to court documents.
According to Reuters, women's lawyer Andy Birchfield informed the jury that Johnson & Johnson was aware that their product could cause cancer as early as the 1960s.
J&J disputes the accusations
Johnson & Johnson's counsel, Allison Brown, contended that only the women's attorneys had asserted that talc was the cause of their illnesses. According to her, no significant US health authority has endorsed the purported connection, and no research has demonstrated that talc may pass from the skin to the reproductive organs.
Brown informed the jury, "They hope you don't mind, but they don't have the evidence in this case."
According to court documents obtained by Reuters, J&J is being sued by more than 67,000 individuals who claim that using its baby powder and other talc products caused them to acquire cancer.
Nonetheless, the business has insisted that its goods are safe and do not cause cancer. In 2020, J&J switched from selling talc-based baby powder in the US to a formula based on cornstarch. Sales of the product were discontinued globally in 2023.
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