Talc Supplier Slammed With $4.8M Verdict By LA Jury

Introduction

A Vietnam War veteran who got diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma due to the daily use of Old Spice Talcum Powder for 22 years has been issued a $4.8 million verdict against Whittaker Clark & Daniels, a talc supplier.

On April 16, 2021, a Los Angeles (LA) civil jury issued a $4.8 million verdict against a talc company over an asbestos case. The firm representing the plaintiff was successful to convince the jury that the talc supplier was responsible for a Vietnam War veteran being diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma. Since March 2020 when the Covid-19 crisis shut the court system, this is the first verdict handed out by a civil jury in LA.

The plaintiff, diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma, cancer of the lungs, had been using Old Spice Talcum Powder for 22 years daily. His lead attorney presented evidence to prove that Whittaker Clark & Daniels (WCD) was aware of asbestos contamination in its talc supply to Old Spice and establishing the link of the plaintiff's use of Old Spice Talcum Powder to his cancer diagnosis.

The plaintiff filed the lawsuit in the year 2018 against more than a dozen companies, including Johnson & Johnson and AutoZone Inc. that market products that contain asbestos. As per the jury, the plaintiff blazed a trail for many other litigants and remained steadfast throughout the case. The lawyers for the plaintiffs are pleased to provide justice during these uncertain times of the pandemic.

WCD was a major supplier of talc to Old Spice for decades and as per the trial testimony, the talc supplier was aware that the talc extracted from its North Carolina mine was known to have the presence of asbestos.

Whittaker accounts for 42% of the plaintiff's illness, while other companies like Bendix, R.J. Reynolds, and Shulton Inc., the maker of Old Spice, also share a small level of accountability. The latest verdict given by the LA jury in the cosmetic talc mesothelioma case includes $3 million punitive damages.

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