Johnson & Johnson has been ordered to pay $108 million in damages after its talcum powder was linked to the death of a woman from ovarian cancer.
Jacqueline Fox from Alabama claimed she used Baby Powder and Shower to Shower for feminine hygiene for more than 35 years before being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She died last year aged 62.
Following a three-week trial, jurors in the US state of Missouri have awarded the Fox family $15 million of actual damages and $93 million of punitive damages.
It's the first time a jury has awarded damages over talcum powder claims.
Jere Beasley, attorney for Jacqueline Fox, says in an effort to boost sales, Johnson and Johnson failed for decades to warn consumers that its talc-based products could cause cancer.
"They knew as far back as 1979 the association between talc and ovarian cancer. They knew that 1500 women were dying each year from ovarian cancer caused or indirectly contributed to by talc and continued to sell, made a conscious decision not to warn. They manipulated the media. They manipulated the scientific community. They manipulated the governmental agencies. And remember that talc is not regulated like drugs. It's a cosmetic."
But Johnson & Johnson is standing by the safety of its products, saying: "We have no higher responsibility than the health and safety of consumers, and we are disappointed with the outcome of the trial. We sympathise with the plaintiff's family but firmly believe the safety of cosmetic talc is supported by decades of scientific evidence."
Over a thousand similar claims have already been lodged, and there could now be more to come.
Newshub.
