Johnson and Johnson Fined $260M in Latest Talc Trial, Oregon jury says

On Monday, a jury ruled that Johnson and Johnson (J&J) must pay $260 million to an Oregon woman. She claimed she inhaled the company’s talc powder and developed mesothelioma, a fatal illness related to asbestos exposure.

The business is currently pursuing a prepackaged bankruptcy to resolve the majority of the cases linked to talc for a projected $6.48 billion. This verdict was rendered in the 4th Judicial District Circuit Court located in Portland.

The plaintiff and her spouse will get damages totaling $60 million in compensation and $200 million in punishment as part of the jury’s judgment.

The decision, according to a statement from J&J’s global vice president of litigation Erik Haas, “is incompatible with the decades of neutral scientific evaluations confirming talc is safe, is free of asbestos, which is and does not cause cancer.” The corporation expressed confidence that it would successfully appeal and get the verdict reversed.

Kyung Lee, the case’s plaintiff, was 48 years old when she received her mesothelioma diagnosis last year.

Over more than 30 years, Lee claimed to have inhaled asbestos-contaminated talc. She first encountered it from her mother’s application of it on her as a baby and then from her use of it as a deodorant.

Also Read, Elon Musk’s X Allows Adult Content Now

Johnson and Johnson (J&J) claims that decades of scientific research backs up the safety of its talc products. They also assert that these products don’t contain asbestos or cause cancer.

At the trial, Johnson and Johnson’s attorney claimed that asbestos exposure at a factory near Lee’s childhood home probably caused her sickness.

Over 61,000 individuals have filed cases against J&J regarding talc. Only a small number involve individuals who have mesothelioma, with the great majority being women who have ovarian cancer. The company has resolved most of the mesothelioma cases.

To win permission for a bankruptcy settlement that would bring an end to the litigation, block further claims, and prevent people from opting out of the agreement, Johnson and Johnson (J&J) requires the backing of 75% of the plaintiffs who are still in the case.

The company’s two prior attempts to settle the talc cases through bankruptcy were denied by the courts. According to J&J, it is optimistic that the plaintiffs’ backing will enable the most recent attempt to be successful.

On May 22, a group of plaintiffs filed a class action lawsuit against the deal, attempting to halt it. They referred to it as a ‘fraudulent’ exploitation of the bankruptcy system.

The talc litigation trial record has been uneven. There have been significant plaintiff victories, such as a $2.1 billion judgment granted to 22 ovarian cancer patients in 2021.

In April, J&J received a $45 million verdict in a mesothelioma case and won an ovarian cancer case.