The fourth of many talc powder lawsuits is set to go to trial against Johnson & Johnson, but the company is trying to stop the proceedings from moving forward.

Lawyers from Johnson & Johnson asked the judge in Missouri federal court to reconsider its ruling on the company’s previous motions to stay proceedings.

Johnson & Johnson tried to stay the trial and transfer the case back in 2014, but its motions were denied.

Talc powder lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson have been steadily increasing.

These lawsuits allege that the talc in Johnson’s Baby Powder is responsible for causing ovarian cancer in women who use the product in their genital area.

Often, these talc powder lawsuits cite research done over the last five decades that indicate there may be an association between talcum powder and ovarian cancer.

Despite the research indicating a probable link, Johnson & Johnson has continued to deny these claims and has stated that there is no link between its product and ovarian cancer.

As such, the company has never placed warning labels on its talcum powder products.

Thus far, three judges have ruled that Johnson & Johnson should be held responsible for having hidden evidence from consumers over the last several decades that its product may cause potential harm.

So far this year, several plaintiffs have been awarded millions of dollars as a result of previous trials held against Johnson & Johnson.

In February 2016, a jury in one of the talc powder lawsuits awarded the family of a deceased woman $72 million. The woman had died from ovarian cancer allegedly as a result of her talcum powder use.

In another of many talc powder lawsuits, a jury in May 2016 awarded $55 million to a woman who developed ovarian cancer after using Johnson & Johnson’s talc products for decades.

Many of the current baby powder lawsuits are filed in Missouri federal court, and another group is filed in New Jersey, the state where Johnson & Johnson has its headquarters.

Allegations in Talc Powder Lawsuits

Women and their families who file talcum powder lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson alleged that the company failed to adequately warn them of the possibility of developing ovarian cancer as a result of using their products.

The talc powder lawsuits state that research conducted as early as 1971 showed a potential link between ovarian cancer and talc use. That initial study looked at ovarian tumors and found that 75% of them talc embedded within them.

It is assumed when women use talc in their genital region to absorb moisture and reduce odor that the talc particles used in the baby powder or Shower to Shower products travel through the vagina and can make their way up into the ovaries of a woman.

Studies involving talc powder and ovarian cancer have shown an association between the two over the last several decades.

In a more recent study published in 2013 in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, the researchers found that women who use talcum based baby powder as a feminine hygiene product have a 20 to 30% greater risk of developing cancer compared to those who do not use the product.