A New Jersey couple have jointly filed a baby powder cancer lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson Inc., alleging the wife developed ovarian cancer after using its brand name baby powder for female hygiene purposes.

In October 2014, Karen and Norris B. filed a baby powder cancer lawsuitagainst Johnson & Johnson in New Jersey federal court, claiming that Karen’s 2014 ovarian cancer diagnosis is directly related to her use of Johnson’s Baby Powder.

Karen claims that she faithfully used Johnson’s talc powder product from 1980 through May 2014. Like many women, the plaintiff used the talcum powder on her genital area to promote cleanliness, decrease moisture, and eliminate odors. During the years she used Johnson’s Baby Powder, she was unaware of the increased ovarian cancer risks associated with the use of baby powder on the genital are.

In 2014, at age 51, Karen was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which required her to undergo a series of surgeries and treatments to manage her cancer condition. In this baby powder cancer lawsuit, Karen and her husband allege that Johnson & Johnson knew of the ovarian cancer risks associated with their baby powder product when they were marketing and selling it to Karen and other female consumers, but did not adequately warn women of the risk of baby powder cancer on any packaging or labels. The plaintiff claims that had she known about baby powder cancer risks, she would not have used Johnson’s Baby Powder for feminine hygiene purposes.

Karen and Norris are bring several charges against Johnson & Johnson, including claims of  failure to warn, negligence and breach of warranty. Norris specifically claims loss of consortium in this ovarian cancer lawsuit, alleging that Karen’s injuries due to her baby powder cancer condition have deprived him of her companionship.

Karen is seeking relief from Johnson & Johnson in the form of compensatory damages for pain, suffering, medical costs, and other non-economic losses that she has incurred because of her ovarian cancer condition.

Baby Powder and Ovarian Cancer Link

According to various reports and baby powder cancer lawsuits, women have used talcum powder products like baby powder for feminine hygiene purposes for decades without knowing of the carcinogens they were exposing themselves to.

The Johnson’s Baby Powder product bottle states, “‘For you, use every day to help feel soft, fresh and comfortable,” and allegedly fails to mention the ovarian cancer risks women may face when using the product.

In 1971, Dr. W.J. Henderson, a Welsh doctor, and his colleagues conducted a talcum powder research study, which stated that women who used baby powder products in the genital area face a 92 percent increased risk of contracting ovarian cancer.

Numerous studies since then have shown again and again that there is a strong correlative link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer. Another study dissected ovarian cysts and found that 10 out of 13 cysts contained deeply embedded talc particles.

Karen is not the only woman pursuing a baby powder cancer lawsuit fter allegedly developing ovarian cancer from using Johnson’s Baby Powder. Hundreds of woman have filed baby powder cancer lawsuits or have joined baby powder cancer class action lawsuits to pursue claims of personal injury stemming from the Johnson’s Baby Powder product.