Talc baby powder lawsuit investigation

Talc baby powder and asbestos contamination: Who’s affected?

Did you use baby powder or Shower to Shower body power on a daily basis for at least eight years and were you later diagnosed with ovarian cancer or mesothelioma? If so, you may have a legal claim.

Talc powder, a product marketed to prevent rashes in babies and used by women for cosmetic or personal hygiene, is the softest known mineral on earth, but its extraction from the ground near other carcinogenic materials makes it potentially life-threatening.

Talc is mined near asbestos or other hazardous materials and can be contaminated, meaning consumers may have inadvertently exposed their bodies to asbestos, a known carcinogen, over long periods of time. For women who used the product for personal hygiene purposes, the contaminated product can result in ovarian or fallopian tube cancer.

The cancers caused by these particles may take decades to develop, so those who have been harmed by contaminated talc powder may be unaware of these side effects until much later.

Johnson & Johnson faces more than 50,000 lawsuits from consumers who claim that its baby powder products were contaminated with asbestos and caused them to develop cancer. You may be able to join these consumers by participating in a baby powder cancer lawsuit; however, time to file a claim may be limited. Fill out the form below to see if you qualify for a free case evaluation.

Billions in damages, previous knowledge

In a lawsuit involving 22 plaintiffs against Johnson & Johnson, a jury ordered the company to pay $4.7 billion in damages, according to a New York Times report in 2018. The company denied the allegations and maintains that the products are safe.

Johnson & Johnson recently agreed to a $700 million settlement resolving investigations by 42 states and the District of Columbia into whether the company’s marketing misled consumers about the safety of its talc products.

Many lawsuits emerged following an investigation by the news organization Reuters. Documents and testimony revealed Johnson & Johnson was aware that raw and finished talc powders tested positive for small asbestos amounts from at least 1971 through the early 2000s. Reuters reported that “company executives, mine managers, scientists, doctors and lawyers fretted over the problem and how to address it while failing to disclose it to regulators or the public.”

Tens of thousands of plaintiffs have filed baby powder cancer lawsuits.

Risks studied

Over the last several decades, medical studies have connected the use of talc powder with ovarian cancer risk.

An expert witness in one lawsuit testified that asbestos was found in Johnson & Johnson baby powder.

Several talc powder manufacturers, including Johnson & Johnson, Revlon, Chanel and Avon, have been sued over their talc-based products and have been quietly removing talc from their products.

Recent studies suggest that women who use talcum powder are 40% more likely to get ovarian cancer. Experts from Harvard Medical School in Boston studied more than 3,000 women and found that using talc once a week raised the risk of ovarian cancer by 36% and 41% for those applying powder daily. Talc-based baby powder manufacturers have allegedly failed to update warnings regarding the potential danger of ovarian cancer on their products.

The question of ovarian cancer risk among women who use baby powder has not been settled. In addition to the studies mentioned above, some studies have shown a small increased risk, and other investigations have shown none. However, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a part of the World Health Organization, classifies the use of talc-based powders on the genital region as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”

Talc removed from products

In 2017, a Chanel representative said that the product was safe, but that the company was removing talc due to “public perception.”

The talcum powder ovarian cancer risk has been documented through numerous studies dating back to 1982. When talc products such as baby powder are applied to the genital region, talc particles can travel through the female reproductive system to the ovaries. Talc particles may remain in the ovaries for years, causing inflammation and creating an environment conducive to the growth of cancer cells. One expert estimates that roughly 10,000 women each year develop ovarian cancer as a result of using baby powder.

In 2019, it was reported that the United States Department of Justice was investigating Johnson & Johnson. The company disclosed it had received subpoenas from the federal government. The results of that investigation have yet to be made public. Johnson & Johnson made the decision to stop selling talc-based baby powder worldwide in August 2022.

Because of the controversy surrounding the likely relationship to ovarian cancer, since 1999, the American Cancer Society has recommended that consumers choose products containing cornstarch rather than talc. DrugWatch lists several market alternatives to talc, including products based on cornstarch, baking soda, tapioca starch, arrowroot starch, oat flour and more.

Ongoing litigation

In April 2023, Johnson & Johnson proposed a 25-year deal in which it would pay $8.9 billion to settle the thousands of lawsuits surrounding its talc powder products. This deal was contingent on Johnson & Johnson avoiding liability by declaring bankruptcy through a subsidiary.

Despite plaintiff lawyers calling the deal a “significant victory,” the settlement fell through in July 2023, when a bankruptcy court denied Johnson & Johnson’s attempt to shirk liability. This is the second time the consumer product giant has been blocked in such an attempt. Earlier in 2023, a federal appeals court rejected a similar effort by Johnson & Johnson to file bankruptcy because it would have allowed the company to evade multibillion-dollar litigation claims that its talc products caused users to develop cancer. Despite the failure of its first two attempts, J&J is reportedly exploring new options for filing bankruptcy as a way to sidestep liability.

Join a talc powder lawsuit investigation

Johnson & Johnson continues to defend its baby powder products from more than 50,000 pending lawsuits. The multidistrict litigation saw a sharp increase in the number of cases filed after the bankruptcy court lifted its stay.

If Johnson & Johnson’s third attempt to file bankruptcy is successful, consumers may be limited in the amount of time they have to file a claim. To make sure you can join the tens of thousands of other consumers who took action against J&J before it’s too late, please see if you qualify for a free case evaluation.

If you used Johnson’s Baby Powder or Shower to Shower body powder on a daily basis for at least eight years and were diagnosed with ovarian cancer or mesothelioma, you may qualify to participate in a talc cancer class action lawsuit investigation and pursue compensation and other damages. Family members of loved ones who died of baby powder cancer may also be able to join.

Please fill out the form on this page to see if you qualify for a FREE case evaluation.