Nov 6, 2018 - Legal Topics by Justin Roberts
The fifth jury trial in a series of multi-district litigation cases consolidated in Missouri state courts has resulted in a $110 million verdict in favor of a Virginia woman who sued Johnson & Johnson, claiming its talc-based products caused her ovarian cancer.
The plaintiff, Lois Slemp, claimed she used J&J’s baby powder and Shower-to-Shower products for over 40 years. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012 that has since spread to her liver. The jury returned a verdict of $5.4 million in actual damages and $105 million in punitive damages against J&J. It also awarded Slemp $100,000 from Imerys Talc America, the company that supplied J&J with the talc used in its products.
More than 20 studies that were conducted on the link between baby powder and ovarian cancer concluded that females have an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer from using talc products.
The studies showed that women that using talc products in their genital area may have a 41% increased risk of developing ovarian cancer due to talcum causing inflamed tissue and creating ideal conditions for the growth of cancerous cells. As many as four studies explain that the longer the female uses the product, the more at-risk she is for developing ovarian cancer.
Failure to alert consumers to the link between talc and ovarian cancer brought a lawsuit in 2013 against the manufacturer. A jury awarded a North Dakota woman who had been using the talc-based product for over 30 years and had developed ovarian cancer more than $70 million in that case. Several physicians tested the cancerous cells found in the woman’s tissue and testified that the cancer had developed due to talc powder.
Women who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and have used baby powder are urged to contact an experienced talc powder lawyer immediately. Physicians have been unable to convince Johnson & Johnson to put a warning label on the product and as a result those that have been harmed by the talc product may have a claim against the manufacturer.
If you have suffered injuries from an unsafe or defective product, the experienced product liability legal team at Roberts & Roberts is here to help with compassionate, aggressive representation. Please call 800-248-6000 or contact us for a free consultation.
Justin is an attorney at Roberts & Roberts and focuses his practice on mass tort litigation, where he specializes in helping individuals who are harmed by recalled or unsafe pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices. He has earned recognition as a “Top 40 Under 40” Trial Lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers. Prior to joining Roberts & Roberts, Justin served as an attorney in all three branches of Texas’s state government, including as a Briefing Attorney on the Texas Supreme Court. He also represented electric and natural gas utilities in complex regulatory proceedings before the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Railroad Commission of Texas. Justin is a published author in the St. Mary’s Law Journal.
