Mesothelioma Victim Awarded $4.8 Million In Talc Lawsuit

A US Army veteran suffering from mesothelioma allegedly from using Old Spice Talcum Powder for 22 years

Friday, April 23, 2021 - Talcum powder asbestos mesothelioma lawsuits are not limited to only Johnson & Johnson as many if not all sources of talc may have been contaminated at the mining source. Talc deposits are naturally interlaced with asbestos deposits in the ground, and it may be impossible to harvest one without the other. Environmental advocates at Fairwarning.org described the relationship between the two organic minerals as impossible to separate from one another and stricter talc asbestos testing methods are needed.

Cosmetics companies like Colgate Palmolive, Revlon, Clubman, and others are defendants in other talcum powder asbestos trials. Plaintiffs with mesothelioma or the surviving loved ones of those who have died allege that breathing talc or using talc-based cosmetics caused them to develop the disease. Johnson & Johnson, the maker of Johnson's Baby Powder, recently paid $100 million to settle 1000 talcum powder cancer cases against them. Nearly 25,000 talc asbestos cancer plaintiffs are waiting to take their turn. Johnson & Johnson has set aside $4 billion for 2021 legal expenses.

In the most recent talc asbestos jury trial, a 78-year old California man was awarded nearly $5 million for the pleural mesothelioma he contracted from using one of the most popular consumer brands of talcum powder. According to PRNewswire, " A Vietnam War veteran, Willie McNeal Jr. suffers from pleural mesothelioma, a cancer of the lungs caused by asbestos exposure. Lead attorney Stuart Purdy presented evidence establishing that talc supplier Whittaker Clark & Daniels (WCD) was aware of asbestos contamination in its talc supply and linking Mr. McNeal's 22-year daily use of Old Spice Talcum Powder to his cancer diagnosis." "According to trial testimony, talc extracted from WCD's North Carolina talc mine is known to have asbestos contamination," the attorneys argued.

In another case, a 61-year-old retired teacher from California was awarded $12 million for her mesothelioma she developed from using Johnson & Johnson and Colgate-Palmolive talcum powder products. Wilson Law described the talc that allegedly caused the disease, "All of the products at issue in the case contained talc - a silicate mineral that is mined from areas that also contain asbestos, which is a known carcinogen." The companies allegedly knew as early as 1971 that their talc supply may have been contaminated with asbestos and covered up what they knew from the public. Tests conducted in the 1970s on Colgate's Cashmere Bouquet revealed asbestos in 50 bottles using lenient talc asbestos testing methods.

Another plaintiff claims that his long-term employment at Revlon Inc., and daily heavy exposure to asbestos-contaminated Jean Nate Silkening Body Powder containing talc, led to his recent mesothelioma diagnosis. Trial Lawyer Magazine describes the case as follows: "Mrs. McDaniel, a Maryland resident, received her mesothelioma diagnosis in January 2020. She and her husband filed a lawsuit against Revlon in a New York state court. They claim that Revlon knew about the likelihood that the company's products were contaminated with asbestos but failed to warn the public of this possibility and its associated risk."