A talcum powder cancer trial against Johnson & Johnson recently led to a $4.7 billion verdict against the manufacturer. More than 22 women and their associated family members alleged that asbestos in the company’s talcum powder products ultimately led to the development of ovarian cancer.

Many talcum powder cancer lawsuits have been filed in recent years on behalf of victims who say they allegedly suffered ovarian cancer because of the company’s failure to warn about the dangers linked to talc and their connection to cancer development.

The Missouri circuit court jury handed down a total of $4.14 billion as punitive damages in the talcum powder cancer trial, in addition to $550 million in compensatory damages to the women. The plaintiffs in the talcum powder cancer trial said that the company never fully warned them about the cancer risks connected with the baby and body powders marketed heavily as safe and effective for everyday use.

In the past few decades, plenty of ovarian cancer patients and their surviving family members have challenged Johnson & Johnson’s marketing of its talc-based cosmetic products. There are more than 9,000 different plaintiffs in various cases associated with talc and body powders, according to a regulatory document filed earlier this year. These plaintiffs say there’s a connection between long-term use of talc and the development of ovarian cancer.

The defendants said that they were deeply disappointed in the talcum powder cancer trial verdict and intend to appeal. The talcum powder cancer trial went on for six weeks, ultimately leaving the St. Louis jury to deliberate about compensatory damages for around 8 hours.

The punitive damage portion of the talcum powder cancer trial, however, concluded after a 45-minute deliberation with the jurors. Six of the women involved in filing the talcum powder cancer lawsuit have since passed away as a result of complications with their cancer diagnosis. The lawsuit says that more than four decades of cover-up activity occurred on the part of Johnson & Johnson, allegedly supressing evidence of asbestos in certain forms of their talcum-based products.

The lawsuit says that the manufacturer was responsible for failing to warn consumers about the devastating dangers and that these materials should be updated in the future to greater reflect the risk factors or that the company should shift to focus on powders that are made with cornstarch rather than talc. The punitive damages awarded in the talcum powder cancer trial are the biggest ever handed down in a product liability case.

The defendant still alleges that any concerns about talcum powder’s connection to cancer are based on inconclusive research. Asbestos was stripped out of commercial talc products in the 1970s, according to research from the American Cancer Society, and research is mixed on the exact connection between talcum powder products and the development of cancer.

But thousands of plaintiffs have come forward after developing ovarian cancer after using these products for a long period of time. Anyone who has already been seriously hurt or has received a cancer diagnosis after long term use of these consumer products might have grounds to pursue compensation.