Supreme Court Rejects J&J Appeal, Orders Company to Pay $2.1 Billion in Talcum Powder Lawsuit

The U.S. Supreme Court this month denied a petition by Johnson & Johnson to avoid paying $2.1 billion in damages to a group of 20 women who were diagnosed with ovarian cancer after using Johnson’s talcum powder products. A growing number of lawsuits have been brought against Johnson & Johnson by consumers who claim that the company’s talc-based powders caused them to develop ovarian cancer and other cancers, including mesothelioma. If you or someone you know used Johnson’s talc-based Baby Powder or Shower-to-Shower body powder products and has since been diagnosed with cancer, contact Consumer Safety Watch to discuss your legal options. You may be able to pursue damages from Johnson & Johnson by filing a talcum powder cancer lawsuit against the company.

Thousands of Lawsuits Claim Talcum Powder Causes Cancer

Johnson & Johnson is known as a household brand, and there are currently more than 30,000 talcum powder lawsuits pending against Johnson & Johnson over the company’s talc-based Baby Powder and Shower-to-Shower body powder products, which have been linked to ovarian cancer and mesothelioma in long-term users. According to allegations raised throughout the ongoing litigation, Johnson & Johnson failed to warn that its talcum powder products, widely used by women for feminine hygiene purposes and by others for personal care, may contain asbestos and increase the risk of ovarian cancer, mesothelioma, and other problems. Several talcum powder cases that have already gone to trial in the United States have resulted in plaintiff verdicts in the millions of dollars, meant as recompense for injured individuals who developed cancer after using Johnson’s talcum powder products.

In this particular talcum powder case, which was originally filed in July 2018, Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay $4.7 billion by a state jury in Missouri, where 22 women diagnosed with ovarian cancer filed a joint claim against the healthcare company. The women claimed, among other things, that Johnson & Johnson deliberately withheld warnings about the risk of ovarian cancer from its popular talc-based powder products. The original jury verdict was later reduced to $2.1 billon, after two of the talcum powder cancer claims were dismissed following post-trial appeals. However, the Missouri courts upheld awards of $500 million in compensatory damages and $1.62 billion in punitive damages for the remaining 20 plaintiffs, bringing the total talcum powder judgment to $2.1 billion.

Johnson & Johnson Defends Safety of Talcum Powder

Johnson & Johnson claims that talcum powder is safe and refuses to accept any blame for cancer diagnoses allegedly linked to its products, despite announcing in May 2020 that it would no longer sell baby powder made from talc in North America. As such, the company sought further review of the $2.1 billion talcum powder ruling by the Supreme Court of Missouri, a request that the court denied in November 2020. This decision prompted Johnson & Johnson to file a Writ of Certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court, the highest appeals court in the country, asking for the jury verdict to be overturned. The Supreme Court denied the petition earlier this month, which means the company will have to pay the full $2.1 billion verdict awarded by the lower court.

Contact Consumer Safety Watch for Help with Your Claim

The Writ of Certiorari was a last-ditch effort by Johnson & Johnson to avoid paying the plaintiffs in the talcum powder case the damages they deserve for the injuries they allegedly sustained as a result of using Johnson’s talcum powder, a product that has been a staple in American households for generations. If you used Johnson’s talc-based Baby Powder for feminine hygiene or other purposes, and you have since been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, mesothelioma, or another type of cancer, do not hesitate to speak to a product liability attorney about filing a legal claim against Johnson & Johnson. Companies like Johnson & Johnson are responsible for the safety of the products they market to consumers and need to be held accountable for any injuries those products cause. To learn more about possibly filing a talcum powder lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson, contact Consumer Safety Watch today.