"Court Orders Johnson & Johnson And Kenvue To Pay $45 Million In Talcum Baby Powder Lawsuit", 22 Apr 2024

An Illinois court... ordered pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue to pay $45 million to a family that alleged the companies’ talcum-based baby powder led to the death of a relative diagnosed with a fatal cancer linked to asbestos exposure, the company’s latest legal issue involving talc products.

Theresa Garcia died in July 2020 after being diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer frequently connected to asbestos exposure, and her family filed a lawsuit alleging that Garcia’s frequent use of the companies’ talcum-based baby powder led to her diagnosis, according to a news release from legal firm Dean Omar Branham Shirley, which represented the family...

The jury found that Kenvue, the former consumer healthcare division of the pharmaceutical giant that became an independent company in August 2023, was responsible for 70% of the issues that led to Garcia's death while Johnson & Johnson and another unit were responsible for the remaining 30%, according to the release.

J&J’s Worldwide Vice President of Litigation Erik Haas said in a statement the company plans to appeal Friday’s ruling immediately and expects to be successful, going on to say: “The verdict in this trial is irreconcilable with the decades of independent scientific evaluations confirming talc is safe, does not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer.”...