Talc-Based Powders Contaminated by Asbestos Exposure
Recent Damages Verdicts Continue... "Will Appeal"
A U.S. jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $65.5 million (approximately 97 billion won) in damages to a woman who claimed she developed mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos in products made by the company.
According to reports from AP and other foreign media on December 19 (local time), a jury in Minnesota found that the plaintiff, Anna Jean Hottel Carly, 37, used Johnson & Johnson's baby powder throughout her childhood and later developed mesothelioma, a type of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. The jury ruled that she should be compensated by Johnson & Johnson. Carly's attorney emphasized, "This case was not only about compensation, but also about truth and accountability."
During the 13-day trial at the Ramsey County District Court in Minnesota, Carly's legal team argued that Johnson & Johnson continued to sell and market talc-based products to consumers despite knowing they could be contaminated with asbestos. They also stated that Carly's family was never warned about potential risks while using the product on their child. This product was removed from U.S. shelves in 2020, and in 2023, the company discontinued sales of talc-based powder worldwide.
Johnson & Johnson announced that it would appeal the verdict. Erik Haas, the company's Vice President of Litigation, asserted that the baby powder is safe, does not contain asbestos, and therefore does not cause cancer. Haas stated, "These lawsuits are based on 'junk science' and have already been refuted by decades of research showing that Johnson & Johnson's baby powder is safe, asbestos-free, and does not cause cancer." The company expects the appellate court to overturn the decision.
This verdict is the latest development in ongoing legal battles over whether the talc in Johnson & Johnson's baby powder and Shower to Shower body powder is linked to ovarian cancer and mesothelioma, which affects the lungs and other organs.
Earlier this month, a Los Angeles jury also ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $40 million (approximately 59.24 billion won) in damages to two women who claimed that the company's talc powder caused ovarian cancer. In October, a California jury ordered the company to pay $966 million (approximately 1.4306 trillion won) to the family of a woman who died after claiming she developed mesothelioma from asbestos-contaminated baby powder.
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