Johnson and Johnson ordered to pay forty million dollars in talc cancer case in California

Johnson and Johnson has been ordered by a California jury to pay a total of forty million dollars to two women who attributed their ovarian cancer to years of using the company’s talc-based baby powder. The jury’s decision in Los Angeles Superior Court awarded eighteen million dollars to Monica Kent and twenty-two million dollars to Deborah Schultz and her husband, following a finding that Johnson and Johnson had long been aware of the dangers associated with its products yet failed adequately to warn consumers.

Monica Kent, diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2014, and Deborah Schultz, diagnosed in 2018, presented evidence that each had used Johnson and Johnson’s baby powder after bathing for four decades. Both women have undergone extensive cancer treatments, including significant surgeries and multiple rounds of chemotherapy, as described during their testimony. Their legal representatives argued that as early as the 1960s, the company had reason to suspect links between talc and cancer but chose to conceal the risks from the public.

Johnson and Johnson continues to reject such claims, stating there is no conclusive evidence connecting talc to ovarian cancer and maintaining that its products are safe, free from asbestos, and not carcinogenic. Their lawyers emphasised that major United States health authorities have not endorsed a causal relationship, and the company plans to appeal the verdict, as it has with previous unfavourable judgments.

With more than sixty-seven thousand plaintiffs having filed lawsuits against Johnson and Johnson for cancer diagnoses allegedly linked to talc products, the company pursued bankruptcy proceedings in an attempt to resolve ongoing litigation. These attempts have been denied repeatedly by United States courts, most recently in April, placing many of the cases temporarily on hold. The latest case represents one of the first trials to proceed since the most recent bankruptcy attempt was dismissed.

The majority of the outstanding lawsuits involve claims of ovarian cancer, while a smaller proportion concern allegations of mesothelioma caused by asbestos contamination in the powder. Notably, Johnson and Johnson has faced several substantial verdicts related to mesothelioma, including a nine hundred million dollar judgment in Los Angeles last October. Despite settling some cases, the company has not reached a nationwide agreement, allowing many claims to advance to trial in state courts.

Johnson and Johnson ceased sales of talc-based baby powder in the United States in 2020 and transitioned to a cornstarch formula, yet litigation persists as courts continue to address the historical responsibilities of longstanding consumer products in the health and safety landscape.