Home / Health / California Jury Awards $40M Over Talc Powder Cancer
California Jury Awards $40M Over Talc Powder Cancer
13 Dec
Summary
- Jury awarded $40 million to two women citing J&J's talc powder.
- Plaintiffs used J&J baby powder for 40 years, developing ovarian cancer.
- Company plans to appeal verdict, citing lack of scientific evidence.
A California jury has delivered a $40 million verdict against Johnson & Johnson, awarding damages to two women who developed ovarian cancer after prolonged use of the company's talc-based baby powder. The plaintiffs, who used the product for four decades, claimed the company was aware of its dangers yet failed to adequately warn consumers.
Legal representatives for the women argued that Johnson & Johnson had knowledge of the potential risks as early as the 1960s. Conversely, J&J's attorneys contended that the plaintiffs lacked sufficient evidence linking talc to their cancer and that no major U.S. health authority supports such a connection.
This verdict comes as Johnson & Johnson faces a significant wave of litigation, with over 67,000 plaintiffs alleging similar harms. The company, which ceased selling talc-based baby powder in the U.S. in 2020, has faced multiple rejected bankruptcy proposals aimed at resolving these claims, and has a varied history in prior talc trials.
