On Thursday, February 14, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Brad Seligman announced that Imerys Talc America Inc. was no longer a defendant in a trial involving claims filed on behalf of a dying woman suffering from cancer allegedly due to Johnson & Johnson's talcum powder. The jurors were instructed not to contemplate much on why the talc supplier was dropped from the trial.
Imerys Talc America Inc. and its affiliates, Imerys Talc Vermont and Imerys Talc Canada filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Wednesday, February 13 in Delaware, amidst multi-million dollar lawsuits that allege that asbestos exposure from J&J's talcum powder cause ovarian cancer and mesothelioma. Imerys stated that it has been named as a defendant in more than 14,650 individual claims and is currently $100 million in debt resulting from fighting those cases. Until Thursday, Imerys was part of the trial involving a plaintiff's claims that J&J and multiple mining companies, owned by Imerys, were aware of the asbestos hazards for decades and yet failed to adequately warn the consumers. The trial is expected to go before the jury early in March.
Other defendants targeted in the talcum powder litigation are Colgate-Palmolive Co., Whittaker, Clark & Daniels, and Vanderbilt Minerals.
