On June 3, a jury awarded an Oregon woman with mesothelioma a $260 Million verdict from Johnson & Johnson, the maker of the talcum powder products she used.
The 49-year-old mother of three claims she developed mesothelioma after decades of using J&J’s talc-based baby powder, which may have been contaminated with asbestos.
Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, which can contaminate talc during the mining process and wind up in talc-based cosmetic products like baby powder.
This $260 Million verdict marks the latest in a series of losses for Johnson & Johnson in recent years, with the pharmaceutical company having been ordered to pay billions of dollars to victims suffering from mesothelioma and ovarian cancer.
As an established national mesothelioma law firm, Sokolove Law has fought for asbestos exposure victims and their families for over 45 years, securing more than $5.5 Billion nationwide.
Find out if your family may qualify for compensation during a free case review.
Enough Is Enough: Jury Sends Powerful Message with Punitive Damages
In August 2023, Kyung Lee was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma, which forms in the lining of the lungs.
Lee was a lifelong user of talc-based Johnson & Johnson baby powder products. Her mother first used it on her as an infant, and past adolescence, she used it as a deodorant.
For more than 30 years, Lee was unaware she could’ve been inhaling asbestos-tainted talc because Johnson & Johnson failed to add warning labels to their products.
In trial, Johnson & Johnson lawyers argued that Lee must’ve been exposed to asbestos by a factory near her childhood home instead.
The jury deliberated for just a few hours before ruling in favor of the plaintiff and her husband, awarding:
- $200 Million in punitive damages, meant to punish J&J for wrongdoing
- $60 Million in compensatory damages to pay for medical bills and other financial losses
With this verdict, the jury sent a strong message to the pharmaceutical giant about the importance of protecting consumers — and the consequences of selling unsafe products.
Johnson & Johnson Vows to Appeal Mesothelioma Talc Verdict
Johnson & Johnson has vowed to appeal the recent $260 Million mesothelioma talc verdict “immediately,” maintaining that their products don’t contain asbestos or cause cancer.
“The verdict also is irreconcilable with the decades of independent scientific evaluations confirming talc is safe, does not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer,” stated Erik Haas, worldwide president of litigation at J&J.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) detected asbestos in J&J’s baby powder products in October 2019.
Despite standing by the safety of its products, the company has removed talc from its baby powder products, replacing it with cornstarch instead.
Additionally, the company is also attempting bankruptcy for a third time now as a way to settle the thousands of talc ovarian cancer lawsuits filed against them.
About the Latest J&J Bankruptcy Proposal
In May 2024, Johnson & Johnson proposed a third bid for asbestos bankruptcy trusts worth $11 Billion, which would resolve all current talc ovarian cancer claims against them and set aside funds for future victims.
Because the $11 Billion proposal includes billions of dollars in payouts from past cases, only $6.48 Billion remains for the nearly 60,000 families impacted by ovarian cancer.
However, many question if this settlement is enough to fairly pay victims for the pain they’ve endured, especially since the court rejected similar proposals by J&J in the past.
For this proposal to pass, at least 75% of claimants must vote to approve the J&J bankruptcy settlement.
Future Johnson & Johnson Mesothelioma Lawsuits
With the $6.48 Billion settlement proposal, Johnson & Johnson mesothelioma lawsuits would not be resolved, allowing families to continue to pursue compensation through individual claims.
The average mesothelioma settlement amount is over $1 Million, with average verdicts awarding between $5 Million and $11.4 Million.
Recently, an Illinois jury awarded the family of a talc mesothelioma victim with $45 Million, ruling against Johnson & Johnson and their subsidiary Kenvue Inc.
Despite the recent losses in court, Johnson & Johnson offers mesothelioma settlements in 95% of cases involving their talc products.
Filing Johnson & Johnson Mesothelioma Lawsuits in All 50 States
At Sokolove Law, our mesothelioma lawyers can help victims in all 50 states pursue compensation from a Johnson & Johnson talc lawsuit.
As a national mesothelioma law firm, Sokolove Law has:
- Over 45 years of experience holding powerful companies like J&J accountable
- Helped more than 8,600 families impacted by asbestos-related diseases
- Secured $5.5 Billion+ from asbestos exposure claims
Even if you don’t know how you were exposed to asbestos or if talc is to blame, we have the resources to identify all potential sources of exposure and link them to your illness.
There are no hourly fees or out-of-pocket costs to work with our team. We only get paid if your case is successful.
Call (800) 647-3434 now or fill out our contact form to see if we may be able to help you get the compensation you deserve.
