Share and Follow
In a landmark decision, a Minnesota jury has awarded $65.5 million to a mother of three who alleged that Johnson & Johnson’s talcum products exposed her to asbestos, leading to the development of cancer in the lining of her lungs.
The jury concluded that Anna Jean Houghton Carley, age 37, should receive compensation from Johnson & Johnson after she used its baby powder during her childhood, resulting in the onset of mesothelioma. This aggressive form of cancer is primarily linked to asbestos exposure.
Johnson & Johnson has announced plans to appeal the decision.
Over the course of a 13-day trial held in Ramsey County District Court, Carley’s attorneys argued that the pharmaceutical company continued to sell and promote talc-based products to the public, despite being aware of potential asbestos contamination.
The legal team also contended that Carley’s family was never informed of the potential risks associated with using the product on their child.
The product was taken off shelves in the US in 2020.
“This case was not about compensation only. It was about truth and accountability,” Carley’s attorney Ben Braly said.
Erik Haas, worldwide vice president of litigation for Johnson & Johnson, argued the company’s baby powder is safe, does not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer.
He expects an appellate court to reverse the decision.
The verdict is the latest development in a longstanding legal battle over claims that talc in Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower body powder was connected to ovarian cancer and mesothelioma, which strikes the lungs and other organs.
Johnson & Johnson stopped selling powder made with talc worldwide in 2023.
“These lawsuits are predicated on ‘junk science,’ refuted by decades of studies that demonstrate Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder is safe, does not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer,” Haas said in a statement after the verdict.
Earlier this month, a Los Angeles jury awarded $40 million to two women who claimed Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder caused their ovarian cancer.
And in October, another California jury ordered the company to pay $966 million to the family of a woman who died of mesothelioma, claiming she developed the cancer because the baby powder she used was contaminated with asbestos.