$50M Talc Lawsuit In Illinois Against J&J Dismissed

Introduction

A $50 million talc lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson was dismissed in Illinois on Friday, but hundreds of cases are still pending.

The number of talc-related claims has increased from slightly over 20,000 last year to 34,600, according to a recent report from J&J.

Family members of a lady who passed away from ovarian cancer in 2016 filed a lawsuit in Illinois in 2018 seeking up to $50 million in compensation. The three-week jury trial concluded in J&J's favor, finding the pharmaceutical behemoth not accountable.

Johnson & Johnson stated that another jury had unanimously decided that Johnson's Baby Powder is safe, does not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer after carefully considering the evidence and facts provided.

The company blamed attorneys, noting that the plaintiff trial bar continues to press forward its defamation campaign to the media to generate provocative and unfounded headlines in the hopes of hastening the conclusion of these cases.

J&J was recently found in contempt of court after one of its main witnesses, M.D., VP of women's health at J&J, refused to show up for cross-examination. After then, the court struck her evidence from the record.

According to the legal firm defending the plaintiffs and other parties involved in prior or ongoing talc lawsuits, the contempt order demonstrated J&J's disregard for the rule of law, the court system, the FDA, and women.

The Illinois victory follows a lawsuit filed last week by a well-known Black women's organization on behalf of its members, seeking the courts to order J&J to launch marketing initiatives and invest in outreach to inform Black women about the risk of acquiring ovarian cancer.

2020 saw the removal of J&J's talc products from U.S. stores due to a decline in demand. J&J is already dealing with more than 34,000 reported instances, which may significantly increase its legal costs.

J&J projected its litigation costs at $3.9 billion in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission in early 2021, noting that the spending was mostly attributable to talc-related reserves and certain settlements.

In a different well-known case in June, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider an appeal to reverse the judgment awarding $2.1 billion in damages in a Missouri lawsuit involving 20 ovarian cancer patients or their families.

According to reports, J&J is considering a strategy to reduce the enormous expenses by establishing a new company to take on the legal duties and then applying for bankruptcy protection. The corporation stated that it has not made a decision regarding the litigation's specific course of action and would only continue to argue for the talc's safety and pursue these matters through the tort system.

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