Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder 'Carcinogen Controversy' May End After 15 Years of Litigation

Attorney representing the manuscript proxy expresses support for $9 billion settlement payment

As consumer class-action lawsuits related to the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) baby powder product, which sparked cancer controversy, have been ongoing for decades, the likelihood of consumers accepting the settlement proposed by Johnson & Johnson has increased.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 4th (local time) that attorney Allen Smith, representing about 12,000 affected consumer plaintiffs, expressed support for the $9 billion (approximately 12 trillion KRW) settlement proposed by Johnson & Johnson.

WSJ stated, "If the consumers represented by attorney Smith support this, 90% of all lawsuit claimants would agree to the settlement related to Johnson & Johnson," adding, "Johnson & Johnson needs at least 75% of the claimants' approval to obtain approval from the U.S. bankruptcy court."

However, Andy Birchfield, who is acting as a co-attorney, opposed Smith's settlement and argued, "Clients are not obligated to accept this." Attorney Smith said in response, "We will request a new vote from the affected consumers."

Johnson & Johnson has been embroiled in over 40,000 class-action consumer lawsuits related to its baby powder product containing talc. Talc is often found near asbestos, which can cause cancer, leading some consumers to file lawsuits starting in 2009, claiming they developed cancer after using Johnson & Johnson baby powder products.

If this class-action lawsuit is resolved, it will remain one of the largest settlements ever paid in lawsuits related to corporate accountability.

Meanwhile, separate from this consumer lawsuit, Johnson & Johnson paid $700 million in settlement to attorneys general of 42 U.S. states earlier this year regarding the baby powder product. Following this, the U.S. attorneys general decided to halt investigations into whether Johnson & Johnson violated consumer protection laws during the product's advertising process.