A group of plaintiffs who have filed baby powder lawsuits after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer have requested to consolidate their lawsuits as part of a multi-county litigation (MCL) in the New Jersey Supreme Court.

The application for consolidation comes after a request from Johnson & Johnson to centralize the growing number of baby powder cancer lawsuits. The group of plaintiffs have agreed to the MCL, but requested that the lawsuits be centralized under Judge R. Mayer in Middlesex County. This opposes what Johnson & Johnson requested, as the talcum powder manufacturer wanted the cases to be brought before Judge Nelson C. Johnson in Atlantic Superior Court.

Johnson & Johnson argued that the MCL should be centralized before Judge Johnson in an effort to avoid conflicting pretrial rulings from different judges. However, the group of plaintiffs allege that Judge Johnson has a heavier case load than Judge Mayer. According to the plaintiffs, “while Atlantic County currently has 6,711 cases, Middlesex County has only 5,033 cases.”

The group of plaintiffs all have similar complaints against the manufacturers of Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower-to-Shower products. They claim the talcum powder products that are marketed to be safe for use on infants and promoted for daily feminine hygiene caused them to have an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. The plaintiffs allege that Johnson & Johnson knew about the cancer risk for years yet failed to warn consumers.

The centralized baby powder lawsuits are still in early proceedings so the group of plaintiffs claim there should not be any complications with having their litigation consolidated in Middlesex County.

MCL approval would mean baby powder cancer lawsuits filed throughout New Jersey would be centralized for pretrial proceedings.

Baby Powder Ovarian Cancer Dangers

According to baby powder cancer lawsuits, Johnson & Johnson have been marketing their talcum powder products to women for decades.

Advertisements indicate that Johnson’s Baby Powder is “clinically proven to be gentle and mild for your baby’s skin” and only carries warnings about avoiding contact with the eye and inhalation. In addition, Johnson & Johnson has marketed the use of their Shower-to-Shower talcum powder as “just a sprinkle a day keeps odor away.”

Many women filing baby powder cancer lawsuits claim they were intentionally misled by Johnson & Johnson into believing that their talcum powder products are not only safe enough to be used on a baby, but also should be used daily as part of a feminine hygiene routine.

Studies have shown a link between ovarian cancer and genital use of baby powder since the 1970s. However, recent studies indicate that the risk of developing ovarian cancer due to talcum powder is 35 percent. The significant link of baby powder to ovarian cancer may be especially alarming to the nearly 40 percent of American women who claim they use talc powder as part of their daily beauty ritual.

Baby Powder Lawsuits

Currently there are about 700 baby powder cancer lawsuits that have been filed against talc powder manufacturers with the majority of them filed in New Jersey, where Johnson & Johnson is headquartered. 

If the baby powder cancer lawsuit MCL is granted and a settlement can be reached, then each lawsuit will not have to be individually tried before a jury.