Talcum Powder Lawsuits Filed In NJ Approach 150
Dozens of Johnson & Johnson's baby powder cancer lawsuits have poured into New Jersey multicounty litigation in 2016, pushing the current total to 148.
Monday, May 16, 2016 - The total number of Johnson & Johnson's baby powder lawsuits filed in New Jersey multicounty litigation has grown to almost 150, with the updated total as of May 14 standing at 148. An additional 45 talcum powder lawsuits have been consolidated into multicounty litigation before the Atlantic City Superior Court since 103 were initially transferred in November of 2015. The cases filed in multicounty litigation has led to New Jersey being one of the largest concentrations of talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuits in the country. In addition to those filed in New Jersey, plaintiffs in the more than 1,000 baby powder cancer lawsuits nationwide claim that Johnson & Johnson knew of a link between their talcum powder products and ovarian cancer and did not do enough to warn their consumers of the potential risk.
The New Jersey talcum powder lawsuits are significant as they are filed in the same state where Johnson & Johnson is headquartered. Both the plaintiffs and defendants agreed that multicounty litigation was the best method to proceed with the lawsuits that were filed early on, and on November 25 the first 103 were transferred before a single state judge. Both sides likely envisioned a continued growth in talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuits. There have been 16 Johnson & Johnson's baby powder lawsuits filed since March, with eight already submitted in May.
The influx of lawsuits may be connected to the two high profile talcum powder lawsuit trials that have taken place recently before the City of St. Louis Circuit Court. Both cases received favorable decisions from the jury, with a February trial awarding $72 million to the plaintiff and a recent trial announcing a $55 million award for the plaintiff in that case just two weeks ago. The hefty damages awarded to the plaintiffs have spread word of the connection between talcum powder and ovarian cancer to potential plaintiffs around the country, and law firms are currently reviewing thousands of potential cases that could lead to baby powder lawsuits filed against Johnson & Johnson.
The plaintiffs in the baby powder lawsuits claim that Johnson & Johnson knowingly decided against warning consumers of a link between their talcum powder products and ovarian cancer that had been demonstrated in more than a dozen medical studies conducted since the 1970's. Talcum powder cancer lawyers representing the plaintiffs have presented these studies and internal documents from Johnson & Johnson as evidence proving that the company protected the marketability of their baby powder products at the cost of putting consumers at a higher risk of contracting ovarian cancer. Johnson & Johnson has maintained that their products have no significant link to cancer, though all three juries that heard talcum powder cancer lawsuits thus far have sided with the plaintiffs.
The multicounty litigation in New Jersey for the talcum powder lawsuits is currently still in the preliminary stages, with the last case management order issued on January 29. However, many legal experts following the talcum powder litigation suggest that there may be a lump sum settlement on the horizon to settle all Johnson & Johnson's baby powder lawsuits as the company may want to avoid these huge damages it has been ordered to pay in the last two trials. The next talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuit trial is scheduled to take place before the City of St. Louis Circuit Court in September.
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