Johnson & Johnson Settles Baby Powder Mesothelioma Case for $2 million

New talc testing requirements could find asbestos in Johnson's Baby Powder and talc used throughout the cosmetics industry

Friday, January 17, 2020 - Johnson & Johnson has settled their most recent baby powder mesothelioma case for an estimated 2 million dollars after a two-week trial in an Oakland California courtroom according to a source from Bloomberg. Johnson & Johnson continues to stand by the safety of its iconic baby powder product as safe, pure, and asbestos-free. A recent test conducted by the US Food and Drug Administration disagreed with Johnson & Johnson's position when it found asbestos in a sample taken from a bottle purchased over the internet. Johnson & Johnson then recalled all 33,000 bottles of the product's production run from store shelves and rand tests of their own which came back negative for asbestos. Johnson & Johnson's testing methods, as well as that of the cosmetics industry in general, have been called into question by the US Food and Drug Administration as being too insensitive to detect asbestos in talc and are insisting that a more sensitive method of testing be adopted. The FDA is expected to issue a formal announcement on the subject of asbestos testing on February 4, 2020.

Regardless of whether or not Johnson's Baby Powder is contaminated with asbestos, a US government-sponsored study published this week in the Journal of American Medicine found no link between talc, the main ingredient in Johnson's Baby Powder and ovarian cancer as so many women have claimed. Approximately 12,000 of the 16,000 outstanding lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson are of the ovarian cancer variety. Spokespersons for Johnson & Johnson called the decision to settle a one-off situation and does not reflect the company's endorsement of the safety of Johnson's Baby Powder. The plaintiff, 61-year old Linda O'Hagan has been told by her doctors that she has less than two years to live and is suffering from mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer of the lining of the lungs and the signature disease of asbestos exposure. Talcum powder cancer lawsuits are handled by top national attorneys with a winning track record litigating against pharmaceutical companies and offer a free consultation.

In 2018, Johnson & Johnson won 8 of 13 cases and was required to pay 4.7 billion dollars to 22 women who sued them alleging they developed ovarian cancer from a lifetime of using Johnson's Baby Powder for feminine hygiene. The most recent trial was decided in favor of the defense who argued that the defendant may have developed ovarian cancer as a result of a lifetime of suffering from endometriosis and that her case did not meet the burden of proof.

Johnson & Johnson faces more legal challenges as the state of New Mexico Attorney general sued Johnson & Johnson for targeting their advertising towards African American and overweight women when the company first learned that asbestos was carcinogenic and that their talc supply may be compromised. Talc and asbestos are mined throughout the world in open-pit mines adjacent to one another and cross-contamination is virtually certain. Entire neighborhoods surrounding asbestos mines have become mesothelioma cancer clusters from the mineral landing on virtually every surface within a 10-mile radius of the asbestos mine. The Mississippi Attorney general also is accusing Johnson & Johnson of failing to warn consumers of the "health risks" from using Johnson's Baby Powder, according to Bloomberg.