Johnson & Johnson "Research and Deployment So Far" Appeal
Johnson & Johnson (J&J), a U.S. health product manufacturer embroiled in controversy over "carcinogenic baby powder," has lost a related lawsuit.
According to major foreign media on the 18th (local time), a jury at a California court ruled that Johnson & Johnson (J&J) must pay $18.8 million (approximately 24 billion KRW) to 24-year-old Anthony Hernandez Valdes.
Valdes claimed that he used Johnson & Johnson's baby powder during his childhood, and that the talc, the main ingredient in the product, contained asbestos, a carcinogen, which caused him to develop mesothelioma. The jury determined that Valdes was entitled to medical expenses and damages.
However, Eric Huss, Vice Chairman of Johnson & Johnson, stated in a press release, "This verdict is inconsistent with decades of scientific evaluations confirming that our baby powder is safe, asbestos-free, and does not cause cancer," and announced that they will appeal.
Earlier in April, according to The Wall Street Journal, Johnson & Johnson filed for bankruptcy protection for its subsidiary LTL Management and proposed to compensate tens of thousands of plaintiffs who filed lawsuits claiming cancer caused by baby powder with $8.9 billion (approximately 11 trillion KRW).
As a result, most individual damage lawsuits were suspended during the bankruptcy proceedings. However, in Valdes's case, since his health was poor and he was not expected to live long, the court proceeded with his trial.
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