Plaintiff in the case was 62-year-old Louis Slemp, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012 after using Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower-to-Shower body powder for more than four decades. Her cancer has spread to her liver, and she was too ill to attend the trial.
Slemp also claims that J&J’s talc products were contaminated with asbestos, a rare allegation in these cases. Imerys Talc America, which provided the talc to J&J, was ordered to pay Slemp about $100,000.
J&J was hit with verdicts of $72 million, $55 million and $70 million in talcum powder lawsuits last year, while winning its first trial in 2017. The company is appealing the losses. About 2,000 other similar complaints are pending in courts across the U.S.
The suits allege that talcum powder can cause ovarian cancer in women who apply the products around their genitals for feminine hygiene.
“We are preparing for additional trials this year and we will continue to defend the safety of Johnson’s Baby Powder,” the company said.
The $110 million verdict is the eighth-largest jury award in the U.S. so far this year, according to Bloomberg. The largest, for $500 million, was awarded to ZeniMax Media Inc. over its claim that the virtual reality headset maker acquired by Facebook Inc. used stolen code.
J&J faces trial in another talcum powder lawsuit in St. Louis next month, filed by the family of a former competitive figure skater who died of ovarian cancer.
Source: Bloomberg