After a Nebraska woman died due to breast cancer in 2005, her daughter filed a baby powder lawsuit on her behalf, alleging that her mother’s cancer was caused by exposure to dangerous talcum powder.

According to the baby powder lawsuit, Janice C. began using talcum powder products (Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder) in around 1970, and continued through the year of her death in 2005. Janice was allegedly diagnosed with cancer on June 28, 2001, which the baby powder lawsuit alleges was a direct result of exposure to talcum powder products.

This is far from the first lawsuit to be filed against Johnson & Johnson over baby powder cancer. Indeed, thousands of people have filed these kinds of lawsuits already, alleging that they were not adequately warned about the risk of cancer associated with the use of talc and baby powder products.

Talcum powder litigation alleges that the use of talcum-based baby powder for feminine hygiene purposes (in the genital area) can lead to ovarian cancer. This use of talcum powder is quite common, and baby powder products have been advertised for this purpose to generations of women. By filing a lawsuit, plaintiffs hope to recover compensation for their injuries.

This baby powder lawsuit was filed by Janice’s daughter Teralynn on multiple counts including failure to warn, defective manufacture and design, breach of express and implied warranties, negligence, fraud, wrongful death, survival action, and several others. The baby powder lawsuit was filed on July 5, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Baby Powder Ovarian Cancer Risk

Some baby powder products are (or used to be) based off of a substance known as talc. However, studies have linked risk of ovarian cancer and talcum powder. Furthermore, the use of talcum-based powders—including Johnson & Johnson’s popular Shower to Shower—in the genital area has been linked with an increased risk of ovarian cancer diagnosis.

While Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder products have been popular for decades, and have even been advertised and used as a feminine hygiene product, an ever-growing pile of litigation claims that using the product in this manner may put women in danger of developing ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is the fifth highest ranking in cancer deaths among women, affecting mainly older women, and is difficult to detect early on. This means it is often diagnosed after it has reached its later and more dangerous stages.

Filing a Baby Powder Lawsuit

Lawsuits allege that Johnson & Johnson failed to give adequate warning about the risk of ovarian cancer linked with its baby powder products, and even misrepresented the safety of the products in its advertising, despite knowledge of the connection between ovarian cancer and talcum powder.

Jurors have ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay millions of dollars to injured plaintiffs and their families so far.

If you or someone you love has used baby powder as part of a regular feminine hygiene routine, and have since been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, you may be able to file a baby powder lawsuit. While filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by ovarian cancer, and cannot bring a loved one back to life, it can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses and lost wages.

The Baby Powder Lawsuit is Case No. 3:18-cv-11361-FLW-LHG, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.