A second South Carolina jury failed to reach a verdict in a retrial case filed against talcum powder giant Johnson & Johnson involving claims filed by the family of a victim, who died of mesothelioma in 2017, allegedly due to the asbestos exposure from J&J's talcum powder.
Then 30-year-old victim ran a three-person law firm in Columbia along with her husband. Earlier in May, the Darlington County Court of Common Pleas in Charleston was deadlocked in the first trial against J&J. A lawyer representing the family stated that the plaintiffs were unhappy with the mistrial announcement as J&J refused to take responsibility for the damages caused even when the jury urged the parties to consider settlement. The company continues to deny the presence of asbestos in its talcum products. This is the fifth time the jury has announced a mistrial in a mesothelioma case against J&J as it failed to reach a verdict or because the plaintiff died.
There are about 11,700 lawsuits against J&J, claiming that the company failed to adequately warn consumers about the carcinogenic asbestos presence in its talc-based products causing mesothelioma and ovarian cancer in several individuals. J&J has consistently declined the hazards of its talcum products and is currently appealing all jury verdicts declared against them.
