Johnson & Johnson awards Minnesota mother $65.5M in talc cancer verdict

Johnson & Johnson talc verdict overview:

• Who: A Minnesota jury has awarded a woman $65.5 million in a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson.
• Why: The woman claimed Johnson & Johnson’s talc products exposed her to asbestos and contributed to cancer in her abdominal lining.
• Where: The verdict was handed down in Minnesota state court.
• How to get help: Did you use talcum powder on a daily basis for at least 4 years and were later diagnosed with ovarian cancer? See if you’re eligible to join a talc powder lawsuit.

A Minnesota jury has awarded a mother of three $65.5 million in a lawsuit over claims that Johnson & Johnson’s talc products exposed her to asbestos and contributed to cancer in her abdominal lining, Law360 reports. 

This case adds to the ongoing Johnson & Johnson lawsuits regarding the safety of their talc products.

According to the Law360 report, the jury handed down the verdict following a 13-day trial in Minnesota state court, finding that Johnson & Johnson sold and marketed the talc-based products despite knowing the mineral could be contaminated with asbestos.

The verdict is the latest against the pharmaceutical giant over its talc-based products, coming one week after a Los Angeles jury awarded $40 million in a bellwether trial to two women who claimed they developed ovarian cancer after using the company’s talc products.

The jury in that case, however, declined to award punitive damages against Johnson & Johnson, finding the company did not act with malice, fraud or oppression.

A Los Angeles jury awarded nearly $1 billion in October to the estate of an 88-year-old woman who died of mesothelioma. The verdict included $16 million in compensatory damages and $950 million in punitive damages.

Johnson & Johnson baby powder was used on plaintiff throughout her childhood, lawsuit claims

The plaintiff in the Minnesota case was diagnosed this year with peritoneal mesothelioma, a cancer of the peritoneal lining in the stomach. According to testimony, the plaintiff used Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder throughout her childhood.

The jury was presented with evidence that Johnson & Johnson knew for decades that talc deposits are often associated with asbestos and that there were concerns raised in testing and scientific literature about contamination, as reported by Law360.

The company, however, continued to market its products as safe for daily use and only ceased selling the product in 2022.

Johnson & Johnson in 2020 agreed to pay $100 million to settle more than 1,000 lawsuits over allegations the company’s talc products contained asbestos and caused cancer.

What do you think of the Minnesota jury’s verdict against Johnson & Johnson? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by Ben Braly, Aaron Chapman, Laurel Halbany and Daniel Liberio of Dean Omar Branham Shirley and Chad Alexander of Sieben Polk PA.

The Johnson & Johnson talc cancer lawsuit is Houghton Carley v. Johnson & Johnson, Case No. 62-CV-25-2358 , in the Ramsey County District Court, Minnesota.

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