Plaintiff Wins $12M in Talcum Powder Lawsuit

Plaintiff Wins $12M in Talcum Powder Lawsuit

Introduction

The Alameda County Superior Court jury has awarded $12 million to a woman diagnosed with mesothelioma linked to the usage of talcum powder products made by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Colgate-Palmolive Co.

According to the lawsuit filed, the plaintiff alleged that she got mesothelioma in 2018, after using J&J’s talcum powder and Colgate-Palmolive’s Cashmere Bouquet throughout her life. The jury found that Colgate-Palmolive and J&J failed to warn about the risks associated with their talcum powder products, which is a substantial factor in the lawsuit. According to the jurors, J&J and Colgate-Palmolive, both were 40% at fault, with the remaining 20% against Avon, which was not a defendant at trial. The verdict award was for compensatory damages. The jury has also imposed punitive damages against the defendants. J&J filed a motion for mistrial after the trial began, and Colgate-Palmolive filed a motion for nonsuit.

J&J is facing nearly 14,000 similar allegations against the company’s talc-based products. Hon. Freda L. Wolfson, U.S.D.J./ Hon. Lois H. Goodman, U.S.M.J. overlooks J&J's talcum powder multidistrict litigation (MDL No. 2738; In Re: Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Products Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation) in the District of New Jersey.