J&J Plans Appeal Following $1.5B Jury Verdict in Talc Cancer Case

A Baltimore jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries to pay over $1.5 billion to a woman who claimed that decades of exposure to asbestos in the company’s talc-based products led to her diagnosis of peritoneal mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer.

On Monday, jurors in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, found the company, along with two of its subsidiaries and spinoff Kenvue, liable for failing to inform plaintiff Cherie Craft that its baby powder contained asbestos.

In response to the jury’s decision, Johnson & Johnson announced plans to appeal. The plaintiff’s law firm noted that this award represents the largest sum ever granted against J&J for a single plaintiff.

The compensation awarded to Craft, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma in January 2024, includes $59.84 million in compensatory damages and punitive damages of $1 billion against J&J, along with $500 million against Pecos River Talc, a J&J subsidiary. This case follows a December ruling in California, where a jury awarded $40 million to two women who claimed the company’s baby powder was responsible for their ovarian cancer.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is primarily associated with asbestos exposure and develops in the lining of the abdomen and abdominal organs. While there is currently no cure, treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and palliative care can help manage symptoms and enhance quality of life.

“Cherie Craft runs a non-profit where she dedicates her life to helping others. Her cancer was preventable. She used Johnson’s Baby Powder every day until her diagnosis,” stated Jessica Dean, a partner at Dean Omar Branham Shirley, the firm representing Craft. “J&J refused to accept any responsibility and fought at every turn.”

Johnson & Johnson criticized the ruling as “egregious” and “patently unconstitutional.”

“We will immediately appeal this verdict,” said Erik Haas, J&J’s worldwide vice president of litigation, arguing that the decision stemmed from “gross errors” by the trial court and contradicted the outcomes of most talc cases where the company has prevailed.

Haas reiterated J&J’s stance that its talc products are safe and free from asbestos, citing decades of scientific studies. “These lawsuits are based on junk science,” he remarked.

The company is currently facing lawsuits from over 67,000 plaintiffs who allege they were diagnosed with cancer after using its baby powder and other talc products, claims that J&J has consistently denied. The company had previously attempted to resolve the litigation through a proposed bankruptcy settlement that would allocate billions to claimants, but those efforts have been rejected by courts.

In 2020, J&J ceased selling talc-based baby powder in the United States and globally in 2023, transitioning to cornstarch-based alternatives.

The Maryland verdict adds to a series of substantial awards against J&J in talc-related cases, although many of these have been reduced or overturned on appeal. The company has set aside billions for litigation costs and settlements as it continues to contest claims in courts nationwide.

(Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

A Baltimore jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries to pay over $1.5 billion to a woman who claimed that decades of exposure to asbestos in the company’s talc-based products led to her diagnosis of peritoneal mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer.

On Monday, jurors in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, found the company, along with two of its subsidiaries and spinoff Kenvue, liable for failing to inform plaintiff Cherie Craft that its baby powder contained asbestos.

In response to the jury’s decision, Johnson & Johnson announced plans to appeal. The plaintiff’s law firm noted that this award represents the largest sum ever granted against J&J for a single plaintiff.

The compensation awarded to Craft, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma in January 2024, includes $59.84 million in compensatory damages and punitive damages of $1 billion against J&J, along with $500 million against Pecos River Talc, a J&J subsidiary. This case follows a December ruling in California, where a jury awarded $40 million to two women who claimed the company’s baby powder was responsible for their ovarian cancer.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is primarily associated with asbestos exposure and develops in the lining of the abdomen and abdominal organs. While there is currently no cure, treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and palliative care can help manage symptoms and enhance quality of life.

“Cherie Craft runs a non-profit where she dedicates her life to helping others. Her cancer was preventable. She used Johnson’s Baby Powder every day until her diagnosis,” stated Jessica Dean, a partner at Dean Omar Branham Shirley, the firm representing Craft. “J&J refused to accept any responsibility and fought at every turn.”

Johnson & Johnson criticized the ruling as “egregious” and “patently unconstitutional.”

“We will immediately appeal this verdict,” said Erik Haas, J&J’s worldwide vice president of litigation, arguing that the decision stemmed from “gross errors” by the trial court and contradicted the outcomes of most talc cases where the company has prevailed.

Haas reiterated J&J’s stance that its talc products are safe and free from asbestos, citing decades of scientific studies. “These lawsuits are based on junk science,” he remarked.

The company is currently facing lawsuits from over 67,000 plaintiffs who allege they were diagnosed with cancer after using its baby powder and other talc products, claims that J&J has consistently denied. The company had previously attempted to resolve the litigation through a proposed bankruptcy settlement that would allocate billions to claimants, but those efforts have been rejected by courts.

In 2020, J&J ceased selling talc-based baby powder in the United States and globally in 2023, transitioning to cornstarch-based alternatives.

The Maryland verdict adds to a series of substantial awards against J&J in talc-related cases, although many of these have been reduced or overturned on appeal. The company has set aside billions for litigation costs and settlements as it continues to contest claims in courts nationwide.

(Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)