A California Jury asked Johnson & Johnson to pay $29.2 million as damages along with punitive damages in the sixth talcum powder trial concerning plaintiff Carolyn Weirick's mesothelioma.
The 59-year-old woman was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2017 and her attorney's blame Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower-to-Shower, which she used for feminine hygiene purpose, contains asbestos fibers which caused her cancer. J&J and its talc supplier are charged with "breach of trust" allegations. J&J continues to deny asbestos presence in their talc products and alleges the woman's case was not based on actual science but “data conjured” by paid clinical experts.
J&J faces thousands of lawsuits alleging the occurrence of ovarian cancer and mesothelioma in individuals who have used their talcum powder for personal hygiene. The bellwether trials will provide insights into how the jury might respond to certain pieces of evidence and testimonies in other talcum trials. Over 10,000 claims are pending against the company in California, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia Courts. The multidistrict litigation (MDL 2738; In Re: Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Products Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation) involving asbestos-in-talc allegation is centralized for coordinated pretrial proceedings in the District of New Jersey presided over by Hon. Freda L. Wolfson, U.S.D.J./ Hon. Lois H. Goodman.
