A young girl who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer following her long-term use of Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder has filed a lawsuit against the company.

Plaintiff Lacie O. filed the ovarian cancer lawsuit demanding a trial by jury in New York federal court. The lawsuit was filed on July 26, 2018.

According to the complaint, Lacie was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of fourteen as a direct result of prolonged and regular exposure to Johnson & Johnson’s talcum based baby powder.

Lacie, born in 1999, says she’s used J&J’s baby powder almost her entire life. However, she says that it was following an open right salpingo-oophorectomy on April 29, 2013 that she became diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

The baby powder lawsuit was filed on multiple counts including failure to warn, design and/or manufacturing defect, negligence, breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranties, punitive damages, negligent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, intentional misrepresentation, consumer fraud, restitution or disgorgment based on unjust enrichment, and tolling of statute of limitations.

Overview: J&J Baby Powder and Ovarian Cancer

Nearly 7,000 U.S. women and their families have filed a talcum baby powder lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson due to being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The lawsuits filed against the company pertain specifically to talc-based baby powder products. While companies that manufacture talc based products have added warning labels advising consumers of the link between ovarian cancer and talc use, J&J have failed to add such warning labels.

Talc is a mineral composed of magnesium, silicon, hydrogen, and oxygen. It’s been added to cosmetic products for years due to its ability to absorb odors, oils, and reduce friction. Studies, however, have long associated ovarian cancer with talcum powder dating as far back as the 1970s. In fact, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), a meta-analysis of 21 studies (2006) statistically found that talc “used regularly in the genital area was associated with a 33 percent increase in ovarian cancer risks overall while no apparent risk was associated with talc used only in nongenital areas.”

According to the American Cancer Society, ovarian cancer is fifth leading cause of death among women. Additionally, ovarian cancer also causes more death among women than any other female reproductive system cancer.

In its early stages, ovarian cancer rarely has symptoms. However, at later stages, symptoms of ovarian cancer may include abdominal swelling, weight loss, bloating, constipation, frequent need to urinate, and discomfort in the pelvic area.

When it comes to the filing of a J&J baby powder cancer lawsuit, there is a statute of limitations, or time limit, to file the claim. This is why it is very important to contact a personal injury attorney to help act on your case if you have developed ovarian cancer after J&J baby powder product use. Recoveries in a successfully filed J&J baby powder lawsuit can help with medical costs, time off from work, and pain and suffering.

The Baby Powder Lawsuit is Case No. 6:18-cv-06550, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, Rochester Division.