A woman from Georgia alleges Johnson and Johnson talcum powder caused her to develop ovarian cancer and that the company failed to warn her about the risk. Numerous women across the country have also alleged that Johnson and Johnson talcum products also caused them to develop this aggressive cancer, forcing many of them into aggressive treatment.

These allegedly dangerous Johnson and Johnson talcum powder products have spurred multidistrict litigation (MDL), consisting of product liability claims from women alleging these products caused them to develop ovarian cancer.

One of the most recent talcum powder cancer lawsuit comes from plaintiff Emma B., who alleges that regular use of these Johnson and Johnson talcum powder products triggered this reaction. According to the talcum powder cancer lawsuit, Emma had begun using Johnson and Johnson talcum powder products in 1959 and continued using them until 2016.

During all times relevant, Emma had used the products according to the instructions listed on the label. Emma says she had no reason to believe she was at risk for serious health complications, with talcum powder used as a common household product for millions of consumers.

Overview of Johnson and Johnson Talcum Powder Cancer Risks

Like millions of other women in the United States, Emma had used Johnson and Johnson talcum powder products on a regular basis for a variety of hygiene purposes. One of these purposes of applying the powder to her genital area to reduce odor and friction, which is a use that is directly advertised by the company.

The complaint alleges that Johnson and Johnson would use statements like “a sprinkle a day, keeps the odor away”, which encouraged women to regularly apply talc to their genital area. When talcum powder is applied to the genital area, the talc particles enter the body and travel through the fallopian tubes, according to studies cited by the lawsuit.

The particles can eventually become embedded in the woman’s ovaries and can fester into cancer cells after a certain number of years. This was allegedly the case with Emma, who says she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer on May 19, 2016 and has since been contending with the condition.

Emma says she opted to file legal action after discovering Johnson and Johnson either knew or should have known about the association their talc based products had with ovarian cancer for years. Since the early 1980s, there have been over a dozen different scientific inquires that observed a potential correlation between talcum powder and ovarian cancer, alleges the lawsuit.

In addition scientists have also noted that talc has a similar consistency to asbestos, which also indicates potential health risks. Furthermore, it has been noted that Johnson and Johnson could have used cornstarch for the same treatment purposes but had opted not to.

Even though Johnson and Johnson was aware of these studies, the company allegedly failed to warn the public against this correlation. Emma’s talcum powder cancer lawsuit is joining MDL No. 2738, where it will join other product liability claims from women alleging they developed cancer after using Johnson and Johnson talcum powder products.

By joining and MDL, Emma’s claim will be streamlined through the litigation process and will avoid potential problems like conflicting rulings from different judges.

This Johnson and Johnson Talcum Powder Lawsuit is Case No. 3:18-cv-07958-FLW-LHG, in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey.