A jury in Pennsylvania has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $250,000 to the family of a woman who said that the company’s talc-based baby powder contributed to her ovarian cancer. The verdict adds to thousands of other such cases being pursued across the United States.
- Pennsylvania jury orders Johnson & Johnson to pay $250,000 in talc cancer case
- Family says long-term baby powder use caused ovarian cancer
- Jury awards both compensation and punishment damages
- Company says verdict is not supported by science and will appeal
- More than 67,000 similar lawsuits still pending
A Pennsylvania jury has ruled against Johnson & Johnson in a lawsuit alleging that the health care company’s products caused cancer. The ruling was issued in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas on Friday. In Pennsylvania, a reported gavel came down on Gayle Emerson and her family’s side for more than $250,000 after Gayle died from cancer.
The jury awarded $50,000 in damages plus another $200,000 in punitive damages. Punitive damages are designed to punish a corporate defendant for its behaviour. Emerson had filed her lawsuit in 2019, accusing the company of failing to warn customers about potential dangers associated with the long-term use of its talc products.
According to court documents, Emerson used Johnson & Johnson baby powder from 1969 through 2017. She was receiving chemotherapy treatment for ovarian cancer at the time of her death, six months after filing the lawsuit. She was 68 years old.
Lawyers for Emerson’s family said in a statement that the jury determined that the company’s product and conduct were responsible for her illness and death. They said the award was less than they had hoped for but praised the ruling as a step in the right direction. The company, the family’s lawyers argued, has known for years that its talc product might be associated with certain risks.
Johnson & Johnson said the allegations were an outright fabrication in a strongly worded denial. The company said in a statement that it intends to appeal the verdict. A company spokesman characterised the ruling as narrow and said it demonstrates that the accusations were not rooted in science. The company has long insisted that its talc products are safe and do not contain asbestos.
In 2020, the company ended sales of talc-based baby powder in the United States and switched to a version made with cornstarch. But it still faces over 67,000 lawsuits in state and federal courts. Many of these suits say the talc products led to ovarian cancer, though some involve another potentially lethal form of the disease called mesothelioma.
Three federal courts have already rejected attempts by Johnson & Johnson to end the cases through bankruptcy filings. In previous cases, a federal judge has admitted for trial expert testimony that baby powder is linked to ovarian cancer. There will be more trials in the months ahead, and the legal fight over talc products is far from finished.
Follow Inspirepreneur Magazine for the latest breaking news.
