Missouri Judge Announces Talc Verdict In J&J's Favor

Missouri Judge Announces Talc Verdict In J&J's Favor

Introduction

A federal judge of Missouri announced the talcum powder verdict in Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) favor where three women accused the company's product of causing ovarian cancer.

The verdict came after a Philadelphia jury earlier awarded a verdict in J&J's favor. The company is also looking forward to filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy that will move the talc liabilities into a separate entity.

The attorneys for the plaintiffs stated that J&J continued to sell the talcum products even after being detected to cause cancer. J&J, on the other hand, claimed that careful consideration of the facts and science provide by their in-house studies reveals that the products are safe for use and did not cause cancer.

The counsel of the women said that they are confident of their win in upcoming similar litigations against J&J. Company's attorney said that the three women's claims are undermined as all of them suffer from different types of cancers, and it is unlikely that the baby powder could cause all the three types of cancers.

The women were also a part of the group of women who appealed in court against the company's rumored plan to use a bankruptcy maneuver.

The talcum lawsuits are centralized in the District Court of New Jersey before the U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson, who will oversee the litigation for coordinated discovery and similar outcomes.

A bellwether program has also been scheduled for April 2022, where a group of lawsuits has been selected for the trials.

Earlier, an Illinois jury granted a talcum trial verdict in favor of Johnson & Johnson by rejecting the allegations of the family members of the woman who died of ovarian cancer.

As per the court documents, the family members of the woman sought $50 million compensation by alleging that J&J's baby powder and Shower to Shower products are dangerous and resulted in ovarian cancer for the woman.

The 69-year-old woman died in September 2016, eighteen months after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

A spokesperson for J&J said in a statement that the verdict displayed careful consideration of the science and facts presented by the attorneys. He even added that the company deeply sympathizes with those who are suffering from cancer and seek answers for the same.

The plaintiff's attorney stated that there is strong evidence to conclude that genital talc leads to ovarian cancer, and the decision will not prevent them from seeking justice for several other women who are victims of the disease because of J&J's negligence and greed.

The verdict came in favor of J&J after a three-week trial in St. Clair County, Illinois.

Earlier, an executive of J&J failed to appear before the court as a witness for cross-examination in a talcum lawsuit. J&J recalled 33,000 bottles of talc-based powder in 2019, and in May 2020, discontinued its sale throughout the U.S.

J&J's talc products are one of the most popular cosmetic products throughout the country. For the past 25 years, over 12,00 women and their families have filed lawsuits against J&J alleging that the company's baby powder causes ovarian cancer.

Asbestos in talcum powder is the major cause of cancer as it is harmful to human health and can cause lifelong ailments. A study even concluded the direct linkage of talc powder to ovarian cancer.

The company is even set to settle $26 billion in the opioid MDL as ordered by the federal judge. The company will pay the settlement amount with three major pharmaceutical distributors, Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen.