Appeals Court Awards $2 Billion in Damages in Johnson & Johnson Talc Case

An appeals court in Missouri has ruled that Johnson & Johnson must pay $2.1 billion in damages to women who used the company’s talc products, and developed ovarian cancer.

Per the New York Times, “the appellate court noted that the company’s internal memorandums from as far back as the 1960s indicated that its talcum products — referred to as the ‘golden egg,’ ‘company trust-mark’ and ‘sacred cow’ — contained asbestos, and that the mineral could be dangerous.” Based on this information, the judge ruled that “A reasonable inference from all this evidence is that, motivated by profits, defendants disregarded the safety of consumers despite their knowledge the talc in their products caused ovarian cancer,” the court said.

In the original case, the jury awarded the 22 plaintiffs $550 million in compensatory damages, and $4.14 billion in punitive damages. Punitive damages are designed to punish wrongdoers. Since the initial filing, 11 of those plaintiffs have died.

The appellate court dismissed some of claims of those original plaintiffs, and awarded $500 million in compensatory damages, and $1.62 billion in punitive damages. Johnson & Johnson is still facing thousands of lawsuits from consumers who allege that their cancers were caused by talc products contaminated by asbestos.

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If you or a loved one was diagnosed with ovarian cancer that you believe may be linked to Johnson & Johnson’s talc products, please call McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC at 855-296-0828, or fill out our contact form. We maintain offices throughout South Carolina.