Families of Deceased Pursue Baby Powder Lawsuits
A number of talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuit plaintiffs have already passed away from the disease and are being represented by their estates.
Monday, May 23, 2016 - A number of plaintiffs that have filed talcum powder cancer lawsuits have already passed away from complications that allegedly developed from their regular, genital use of talcum powder. In their stead, the plaintiffs' families have often stepped up to take over their loved one's claims against Johnson & Johnson. Though in these cases the plaintiffs lost their battle against ovarian cancer, their allegations against the health care giant they claim contributed to the disease still hold gravitas in court.
The most notable talcum powder cancer lawsuit in which a deceased plaintiff's estate represented their loved one took place in February before the City of St. Louis Circuit Court. The Johnson & Johnson's baby powder lawsuit belonged to Jacqueline Fox, a woman who had used talcum powder for more than 35 years and died from ovarian cancer months before her case went to trial. The lawsuit was then pursued by Fox's talcum powder ovarian cancer lawyers and her son Marvin Salter. Fox recorded her testimony before she passed away and the tapes were played in court before the jury.
Despite her passing before the trial, the jury awarded $72 million in damages to Fox's estate. The overwhelming evidence presented by baby powder cancer lawyers representing Fox convinced the jury that Johnson & Johnson knew of the ovarian cancer risks associated with their product and decided against sufficiently warning consumers. They believed that the company's actions contributed to Fox's ability to protect herself from contracting the ovarian cancer that led to her death. Her estate was awarded $10 million in compensatory funds in addition to $62 million in punitive damages against Johnson & Johnson.
The $72 million was far greater than the $55 million award given to another woman who brought Johnson & Johnson to trial over a similar talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuit in April. The plaintiff in the more recent case was not only alive, but her cancer was in remission at the time of the proceedings. Though both cases provided similar evidence and testimony against Johnson & Johnson, it seems that the jury reacted more strongly to the trial in which the plaintiff had passed away as a result of her injuries allegedly advanced by talcum powder products.
Lawsuits in which the plaintiff continue to be filed around the country, including two plaintiffs in a large joint talcum powder lawsuit recently filed in New Mexico. The Johnson & Johnson's baby powder lawsuit features 17 plaintiffs, two of them represented by their estates after they succumbing to ovarian cancer. More than 1,000 talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuits have been filed against Johnson & Johnson thus far, with both living and deceased plaintiffs the subject of lawsuits seeking substantial damages from the health care company and thus far winning those awards from juries that hear their cases.
Johnson & Johnson's baby powder lawsuits may also be headed for a lump sum settlement given the repeated multi-million dollar awards given to plaintiffs recently. Families of plaintiffs will still be able to file lawsuits and claim their share of the settlement should this scenario take place.
OnderLaw, LLC -