A Missouri jury ordered Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to pay $72 million to the family of a woman who died from ovarian cancer after using J&J Baby Powder and Shower to Shower for feminine hygiene for more than 35 years. J&J was found liable for negligence, conspiracy and fraud, according to the family’s lawyers. This is the first jury award in a talc/ovarian cancer case against J&J. The company is facing about 1,200 similar lawsuits.
The Verdict
The $72 million award included $10 million in compensatory damages and $62 million in punitive damages, to be paid to the family of Jacqueline Fox. Prior to her death in October, 2015, Fox recorded an audio deposition in which she says she used J&J talcum powder products for 35 years before being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She died at 62.
According to a Bloomberg report, jury foreman Krista Smith said that J&J internal documents played a large role in their decision. “It was really clear they were hiding something,” she said. “All they had to do was put a warning label on.”
Failure to Warn
The cases pending against J&J are based on failure to warn. J&J marketed Shower to Shower as a feminine hygiene product.
But, studies linking talcum powder to ovarian cancer go back at least as far as 1971. Dr. Daniel Cramer, a prominent researcher and expert witness in the J&J trial, published his first study on the subject in 1982 and has been involved in several more studies on the link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer with his most recent published in 2015.
If you developed ovarian cancer after using talcum powder as a feminine hygiene product, you may be entitled to substantial compensation for your injuries. Please talk to an experienced defective drug / product liability attorney right away to learn more about your rights.
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