Home / Health / California Jury Slams J&J with $40 Million Talc Verdict
California Jury Slams J&J with $40 Million Talc Verdict
13 Dec
Summary
- Two women were awarded $40 million for cancer linked to J&J baby powder.
- The jury found J&J knew its talc products were dangerous for years.
- Johnson & Johnson plans to immediately appeal the verdict.
A California jury has awarded $40 million to two women who alleged that Johnson & Johnson's talc-based baby powder led to their ovarian cancer. The judgment in Los Angeles Superior Court was split, with $18 million for Monica Kent and $22 million for Deborah Schultz and her husband. The jury concluded that Johnson & Johnson had long been aware of the product's dangers and neglected to inform the public.
Plaintiffs' attorneys argued that the company knew about the potential cancer risks as early as the 1960s and actively concealed this information. Johnson & Johnson's legal team countered that no major health authority supports the link between talc and cancer, and no scientific study shows talc migrating to the reproductive organs. They asserted the plaintiffs lacked sufficient evidence.
This verdict comes as Johnson & Johnson faces over 67,000 similar lawsuits. The company ceased selling talc-based baby powder in the U.S. in 2020 and has attempted to resolve litigation through bankruptcy, though these efforts have been repeatedly rejected. J&J maintains its products are safe and do not cause cancer.
