Despite the death of an ovarian cancer victim her daughter and the acting trustee appealed the California jury's decision to dismiss the $417 million verdict against Johnson & Johnson. The plaintiff's lawyer has requested for the appeals court to reinstate the verdict and reverse Judge Nelson’s order granting J&J’s motions for judgment notwithstanding the verdict and a new trial.
In August 2017, a California jury announced a $417 million verdict in favor of a plaintiff over allegations that using J&J's talcum powder caused her ovarian cancer. J&J's request for a new trial was granted by Judge Maren E. Nelson, and the verdict was overturned on October 20, 2017. The jury supported J&J's statement that the evidence provided by the plaintiff was inadequate and did not confirm that the talc manufacturer conducted malice marketing tactics. In her argument, the victim's daughter claims there was enough evidence to prove that J&J was aware of the ovarian cancer risk associated with their talcum powder and they purposely falsely marketed the product. In a recent revolutionary verdict, J&J was ordered to pay $4.7 billion as damages to 22 victims and their families over allegations that asbestos present in the talcum powder developed ovarian cancer in them.
Several lawsuits, pending against the talc manufacturer, are centralized for pretrial proceedings in the District of New Jersey, presided over by Hon. Freda L. Wolfson, U.S.D.J./ Hon. Lois H. Goodman, U.S.M.J. as a part of a multidistrict litigation (MDL No. 2738; In Re: Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Products Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation).
