On Friday, a 12-member California jury in Los Angeles passed a $40.3 million verdict in favor of a couple. The jury held Johnson & Johnson (J&J) liable for causing the woman to develop mesothelioma.
According to a complaint filed in June 2017, the woman was exposed to respirable asbestos fibers post using J&J’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower talcum powder, which became a contributing factor in the development of her malignant mesothelioma. The plaintiffs alleged that J&J failed to safely design, manufacture, and sell its Baby Powder and Shower to Shower products. The lawsuit further claimed that the pharmaceutical giant failed to warn people about the health hazards of using asbestos-laden talcum powder. The complaint also alleged a loss of consortium due to the damages caused.
Other defendants who were all dismissed included Avon Products Inc., Brenntag North America Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Co., Imerys Talc America Inc., Pfizer Inc., and Valeant Pharmaceuticals North America LLC.
The verdict states, J&J will pay $1.2 million in economic damages for past and future medical bills, $6.5 million for past non-economic damages, $12.6 million for future noneconomic damages, and $20 million for Phil Cabibi's damages. The jury did not award the couple any punitive damages. J&J said that it would pursue an immediate appeal of the verdict.
Earlier, four plaintiffs who developed mesothelioma from inhaling asbestos allegedly present in Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) cosmetic talc products were awarded $37.3 million from a six-member New Jersey state court jury.
Two mesothelioma-related trials are also in progress in California state court in Los Angeles. A jury selection is also underway in the state’s first cosmetic talc trial and ovarian cancer case since a trial last year in Missouri, in Georgia state court in Atlanta, which ended in a $4.7 billion verdict.
Delaware trial court also awarded a summary judgement to Union Carbide Corp in a similar lawsuit. The jury issued the ruling in the company's favour as it cleared its stand in the asbestos case by saying that it relied on Georgia-Pacific to warn the end-users of its joint compound products.
The country's first asbestos lawsuit was filed in Newark (NJ) in 1929. The lawsuit was disqualified in 1934, but many such lawsuits surfaced following the stint. Johns-Manville Corporation was one of the biggest companies that were targeted by these lawsuits. The company filed for bankruptcy in 1982.
