Johnson & Johnson and their talc supplier have just been hit with a $37M verdict in compensatory damages after claims that a New Jersey man developed a highly aggressive form of cancer after using the company’s asbestos-containing talc powder products.
The jury in Middlesex County Superior court determined that New Brunswick-based Johnson & Johnson and Imerys Talc America—J&J’s talc supplier—were responsible for 70% and 30% of the victim’s damages, respectively.
Stephen Lanzo of New Jersey says he was exposed to asbestos when inhaling dust from the baby powder over several decades, from 1972 to 2003. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2016—a dangerous form of cancer that develops in the heart, lungs and abdomen due to asbestos fibers.
This case comes just two years after J&J was told to pay $72M in compensatory and punitive damages to another victim who suffered ovarian cancer from the company’s products— which was later overturned after an appeal by Johnson & Johnson.
J&J still denies the allegations that their baby powder contains asbestos or causes cancer.
Are you or a loved one suffering from an illness you believe to be related to talcum powder? Give us a call, and we’ll help you discover whether or not you have a case.
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