Plaintiff Awarded $63.4 Million Verdict in Johnson and Johnson Baby Powder Trial
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A court order has mandated that Johnson and Johnson pay millions in its latest baby powder trial. A South Carolina state court jury sided with plaintiff Michael Perry on Thursday after he blamed his mesothelioma on the company’s talcum powder.
The court ordered J&J and co-defendant American International Industries to pay combined damages of $63.4 million.
“Neither Michael nor any other consumer should be put in harm’s way,” lawyer Ben Adams, partner to the law firm Dean Omar Branham Shirley, said in a statement. “Johnson & Johnson continues to refuse to accept accountability for the lives they’ve taken. But today, the jury saw through their tactics and delivered a measure of justice. And for that, we are deeply grateful.”
J&J, which has been on the losing end of several baby powder lawsuits in recent months, plans to appeal the ruling.
Johnson and Johnson Baby Powder’s Link to Asbestos at Center of Trial
Perry initially received a mesothelioma diagnosis in 2023. This rare and aggressive cancer forms in the lining of internal organs and is often the result of asbestos exposure.
According to law firm Dean Omar Branham Shirley, testimony included in the trial showed that J&J knew as early as 1970 that its talcum-powder-based products contain asbestos. The company issued a recall of 33,000 bottles of baby powder in 2019 after the FDA found asbestos in test samples.
Perry used J&J’s baby powder every day for years due to his deodorant allergy.
According to the Courtroom View Network, J&J pointed to brake pads Perry had been exposed to while working in his father’s garage as a potential source of asbestos contamination and cause of his mesothelioma.
But the jury ultimately opted to side with Perry.
The verdict comes on the heels of several other big wins for plaintiffs in recent months. In June, an Oregon jury ordered J&J to pay $260 million to a woman who blamed her mesothelioma on the company’s talcum powder.
Two months before that, an Illinois jury awarded a $45 million verdict to the family of a woman who died from mesothelioma after using J&J baby powder.
Johnson and Johnson Talcum Powder Also Linked to Ovarian Cancer
Johnson and Johnson has faced litigation for years over its talcum-based baby powder, both regarding its potential link to mesothelioma and ovarian cancer.
There are currently over 57,000 pending talcum powder lawsuits against J&J.
Studies have shown links between talc usage and ovarian cancer, despite there still being no clear answer for why this is the case. In July, the International Agency for Research on Cancer reclassified talc as a “probable carcinogen.”
J&J is currently attempting to settle much of the ongoing litigation relating to ovarian cancer. The company proposed a $6.48 billion settlement in May that they would pay out over 25 years.
According to Bloomberg, J&J has met the plaintiff voting threshold for the settlement to proceed, but it has not yet received court approval.
Editor Lindsay Donaldson contributed to this article.