Yesterday in St. Louis, a jury decided that Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder is to blame for causing ovarian cancer in the 22 plaintiffs represented. The jury awarded $550 million in actual damages and $4 billion in punitive damages which means that each family who sued will potentially receive approximately $25 million.While there have been previous trials in which women have claimed that talcum powder causes ovarian cancer, what makes this one different is the argument that their cancer was caused by the asbestos allegedly found in this product. Furthermore, this is the first trial where documentation was presented revealing that the leadership of J&J knew that there was asbestos found in their product and yet failed to warn consumers. Asbestos has been considered a carcinogenic mineral for decades. Talc and asbestos are closely related since they are both are silicate minerals and are created by the same geologic processes. As such, many times they are found near each other as they are mined. Since the 1970’s asbestos usage has decreased drastically, and yet J&J has adamantly denied having asbestos in their talcum powder and has refused to put a cancer warning on their product labels.One juror (who is choosing to remain anonymous) explained that the jury came to the award amount by multiplying the estimated $70 million that J&J recently reported to making annually by the 43 years that it claimed that their talc doesn’t contain asbestos. "We were just trying to find something they would feel,” she explained.Of the 22 plaintiffs who were represented in this case, six have died due to ovarian cancer. Plaintiff Karen Hawk, 67, of Kansas City, had used baby powder most of her life. She was diagnosed with cancer in 2003 and beat it in 2008. Hawk stated that, “this trial is so important for the women who are using [J&J’s talcum powder]. I hope it gets taken off the market. People don't know what they're dealing with."If you or a loved one was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, you still may be able to file a claim against Johnson & Johnson. If you were diagnosed with ovarian cancer after 2006, used J&J’s talcum powder for more than four years, and had surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy after 2006, you may qualify. You should also consider filing a claim if you had a loved one who died after 2006 due to ovarian cancer and used this dangerous product. You were never warned of the risk of using baby powder and Johnson & Johnson continues to deny their role in putting millions of women’s lives at risk. It’s time that J&J is held accountable for their actions.
For more information about talcum powder and its link to ovarian cancer, click here now. For interviews or to tell your story, contact Jennifer Stanich-Banmiller at (925) 964-1485 or at info@periscopegroup.com.
