[:en]Johnson & Johnson failed to persuade a Missouri trial judge to set aside a July verdict awarding a record $4.69 billion to 22 women who blamed their ovarian cancer on asbestos in the company’s Baby Powder and other talc products.
The healthcare company faces thousands of lawsuits over the safety of talc in its Baby Powder, a fixture of its consumer products division that has been core to J&J’s reputation as a family-friendly company.
A New Argument:
The trial was the first in which plaintiffs claimed that asbestos fibers in J&J’s talc caused ovarian cancer. It relied on unsealed internal company documents detailing J&J’s alleged knowledge of asbestos contamination since at least the 1970s.
The company, which says its Baby Powder does not contain asbestos and is safe, in a statement said the failed motion was merely a formal step required before appealing the verdict.
“The same judge has denied similar motions on prior verdicts in his court that were ultimately overturned by the appellate courts. We are confident this verdict will also be overturned on appeal,” J&J said.
Sufficient Evidence Presented:
Judge Rex Burlison in the ruling on Wednesday said the jury’s decision and the large award of punitive damages were justified based on J&J’s “particularly reprehensible conduct” as evidenced during the trial. He denied the company’s request to overturn the verdict, saying the women had presented sufficient evidence to support the jury’s verdict.
A jury in July awarded $550 million in compensatory damages and $4.14 billion in punitive damages.
Reuters on Dec. 14 published a special report detailing the company documents that sent J&J shares tumbling. They have dropped more than 13 percent since Friday, wiping out more than $45 billion in the company’s market value.
Mark Lanier, the women’s lawyer during the trial, in a statement, said plaintiffs were pleased with Burlison’s decision.
Long Term Use:
The women and their families said decades-long use of baby powder and other cosmetic talc products caused their illness. They allege the company knew its talc was contaminated with asbestos since at least the 1970s but failed to warn consumers about the risks.
While plaintiffs in the long-running litigation in the past had claimed talc itself causes ovarian cancer, plaintiff lawyers in recent months shifted their claims to allege asbestos in the talc causes mesothelioma, cancer closely linked to asbestos exposure, and ovarian cancer.
J&J denies that its talc products ever contained asbestos and says decades of studies and regulatory assessments show its talc to be safe.
Missouri’s appeals court has overturned two prior ovarian cancer talc verdicts against J&J on technical legal grounds, saying the decisions could not stand following a 2017 U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting where companies can be sued for personal injuries.
The company in its September motion made a similar argument, telling Burlison that the women, the majority of whom were from out-of-state, had no right to sue in Missouri.
J&J also said Lanier during the trial “substituted proof and evidence with misleading and inflammatory graphics,” including an image depicting J&J pushing a woman off a cliff into ovarian cancer.
But Burlison in his Wednesday ruling said the cases rightly belonged in Missouri court due to J&J’s connection to the state.
More than 9,700 talc lawsuits, the vast majority of those J&J faces, allege asbestos-laced cosmetic talc caused ovarian cancer, while a smaller number claim its use led to mesothelioma.
Injured from using baby powder?
If you or a loved one have been injured as a result of using Johnson & Johnson baby powder, contact our office at (303) 327-9988 to schedule a free consultation and speak with one of our experienced attorneys. Please also visit our practice area page on ovarian cancer and talcum powder here for additional information.
Article originally written by author Tina Belton and posted on Street Insider. Adapted by Emily Vucinovich[:]
