It Might Be More Difficult to Prove You Have Used Johnson's Baby Powder Than It Is To Prove It Causes Cancer
There is substantial evidence that Johnson's Baby Powder could contain asbestos, a known carcinogenic substance, but proving that one has used the product regularly for an entire lifetime is much more difficult
Friday, March 29, 2019 - This week a New Jersey jury cleared Johnson's Baby Powder of the claim by Ricardo Rimondi, a man who said that asbestos in Johnson's Baby Powder coupled with his lifelong use of the product caused his mesothelioma, a rare but deadly form of cancer of the lining of the lungs in a trial that took place in Johnson & Johnson's home state of New Jersey where the company is the largest employer. In spite of expert witnesses testifying as to the presence of asbestos in talc samples as well as Reuters and the New York Times publishing internal JNJ memos that indicate they knew talc was contaminated with asbestos, the jury returned a unanimous not guilty verdict.
Anyone with mesothelioma or ovarian cancer can say that they used Johnson's Baby Powder but how do you prove it? There are many environmental contaminants such as cigarette smoking or second-hand smoke, working in an old building that at one time contained asbestos insulation, or having a family history of cancer that all could have been the catalyst of one's cancer. Johnson & Johnson lost a similar trial last week when a California jury awarded a woman $29 million for the mesothelioma she is suffering from as a result of inhaling Johnson's baby powder dust over the course of many decades. That case along with a prior one where a jury awarded 22 plaintiffs the staggering sum of $4.69 billion dollars had put the company on its heels. While litigating the Rimondi case, Johnson & Johnson settled 3 other similar cases in California, Oklahoma and New York, for an undisclosed amount of money. The company insists that the settlements are isolated and not a sign of settlements to come. According to Reuters, "J&J has now been cleared of liability in four trials, with another five resulting in hung juries and mistrials. Three juries have found J&J liable, awarding a total of $172 million in damages. J&J is appealing those verdicts." Top national talcum powder cancer attorneys in the US give some of the best advice when it comes to your rights and offer a no obligation free consultation to families and individuals before filing a claim.
Johnson & Johnson has been subpoenaed by the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission and ordered to turn over documents related to their knowledge of asbestos contamination in their talcum powder. Investigative articles in Reuters and the New York Times brought the issue to the government's attention as did the multi-billion dollar jury award the company is being forced to pay plaintiffs who claim that Johnson's Baby Powder caused their cancer.
More than 13,000 lawsuits are pending in state and federal court where plaintiffs claim that their regular and lifelong use of Johnson's Baby Powder caused their ovarian cancer of mesothelioma. Ovarian cancer may be easier to prove as particles of talc has been found in the ovaries of women that have died from the disease.
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