According to the most recent update in the talcum powder litigation movement, lawyers handling the lawsuit filed against Johnson & Johnson announce a new location for pretrial proceedings is being considered. This development occurred after Johnson & Johnson, in May 2015, proposed that all talcum powder lawsuits filed in New Jersey be consolidated for pretrial proceedings in the Atlantic City Superior Court under the Honorable Judge Nelson C. Johnson.

At the time this application of consolidation was filed, approximately 70 talcum powder lawsuits were listed for consolidation. According to legal sources, a group of plaintiffs has responded positively to the defendant’s request of consolidation, but insisted on a different location, preferring Middlesex County under the Honorable Judge Jessica R. Mayer.

Despite the disagreement on location, the attorneys involved are pleased with this development, because consolidation will be realized either way. In fact, the plaintiff lawyers state that when cases are consolidated for pretrial proceedings, the plaintiffs’ lawsuits are given much more consideration when presented alongside each other.

Additionally, this method of consolidation is ideal for the plaintiffs, because it preserves the individual details of each case and potentially different conclusions per plaintiff. The consolidation for pretrial proceedings would be a multicourt litigation (MCL), in order to increase the efficiency of the overall litigation process. The purpose of consolidation is to prevent conflicting rulings, decrease the chances of duplicate discovery, and to further serve to the convenience of all parties.

Now all future talcum powder lawsuits filed in New Jersey, which share the allegations of ovarian cancer in direct result of using the defendant’s talcum powder products, will be transferred for pretrial proceedings. Each of these lawsuits claim that after the plaintiff had used either the defendants’ baby powder or Shower-to-Shower powder for personal female hygienic reasons, she developed ovarian cancer later on. If the consolidation goes forward, many of these cases could be settled outside of court or go to their own individual trials.

Overview of Talcum Powder Cancer Complications

For decades, women across America have been using talcum powder products for personal hygienic reasons; the conditions often treated by these products include rash, dry skin, and yeast infection. Many of these women also applied the powder to their genital area, and had encouraged their children and grandchildren to do the same.

Overall, talcum powder has been a traditional hygiene product for generations and has been considered safe by the public until recently. While talcum powder’s possible association with ovarian cancer is relatively new, it has been reportedly a concern to scientists since the 1970s.

Over the years, scientists have found increasing evidence that talcum powder particles could possible induce ovarian cancer when the powder is applied to the genital area. According to recent studies, when the talcum powder is applied to that particular area of a woman, the particles can enter the body and then embed themselves in the fallopian tubes. Researcher suggests that these particles can rest in the ovaries for up to eight years, and can eventually cause cancer cells to fester and spread.

According to the talcum powder lawsuits filed against Johnson & Johnson, the company allegedly knew about this risk for years but hid it from the public in order to protect their products’ market value. Numerous women criticize the company of prioritizing on their profits, rather than the safety of their customers.