talcum powder lawsuit

Talcum Powder Lawsuit

Thousands of women have filed talcum powder lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson, claiming its talcum powder products, Shower-to-Shower Powder and Baby Powder caused them to develop ovarian cancer. Some of these women had used the products for hygiene purposes for many years.

Open, not accepting clients

Our Role

Seeger Weiss continues to represent women diagnosed with ovarian cancer or their family members who have been impacted by Johnson & Johnson talcum powder products.

Case Updates

  • 7/28/23

    Judge Kaplan denied LTL Management’s second Chapter 11 bankruptcy attempt, finding that the subsidiary did not meet the standards for financial distress. This decision echoes an earlier ruling made by the Third Circuit in January 2023, which also found that LTL Management was not eligible to declare Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

  • 6/30/23

    In closing arguments, The Official Committee of Talc Claimants argued that LTL Management’s second attempt at declaring Chapter 11 bankruptcy was a bad faith effort to evade liability for harms caused by Johnson & Johnson’s talc products.

  • 6/22/23

    Judge Kaplan extended a limited preliminary injunction through August 22, 2023, allowing litigation against Johnson & Johnson and other nondebtor entities to proceed up to the trial stage.

  • 5/31/23

    After Judge Kaplan allowed the case to proceed, a trial for the case Valadez v. Johnson & Johnson began in the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda. The plaintiff alleges his mesothelioma was caused by exposure to Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder.

  • 4/25/23

    The Official Committee of Talc Claimants filed a motion to dismiss the new LTL bankruptcy, arguing the bankruptcy was filed in bad faith.

  • 4/20/23

    Judge Michael B. Kaplan issued a limited preliminary injunction through June 15, 2023, allowing litigation against Johnson & Johnson and other nondebtor entities to proceed up to the trial stage.

  • 4/4/23

    Johnson & Johnson subsidiary LTL Management LLC refiled for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with a new settlement offer for claimants.

  • 3/31/23

    The Third Circuit denied Johnson & Johnson’s motion to stay dismissal of its talc unit’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy while it appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court, telling the New Jersey federal bankruptcy court to dismiss the case.

  • 2/16/23

    As of February 16, 2022, 37,522 lawsuits have been filed in In Re: Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Products Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation.

  • 2/14/23

    US Bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan made clear he plans to formally dismiss the Johnson & Johnson bankruptcy, allowing talc claims to once again move forward in court.

  • 1/30/23

    The Third Circuit Court of Appeals released a unanimous decision rejecting J&J’s bankruptcy move. In the opinion, Judge Thomas Ambro wrote, “What counts to access the Bankruptcy Code’s safe harbor is to meet its intended purposes. Only a putative debtor in financial distress can do so. LTL was not. Thus we dismiss its petition.”

  • 9/19/22

    The Third Circuit Court of Appeals held oral arguments in the appeal by plaintiffs challenging the validity of Johnson & Johnson’s Texas Two-step bankruptcy maneuver avoid accountability for selling talc-based products that cause ovarian cancer. A ruling is expected towards the end of 2022 or the beginning of 2023.

  • 8/12/22

    Johnson & Johnson announced that the company would cease selling products containing talcum powder by the end of 2022.

  • 7/3/2022

    An initial appeal was filed by plaintiffs at the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, challenging Johnson & Johnson’s attempt to avoid responsibility by filing for bankruptcy. The goal was to reverse the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing so that lawsuits against J&J could continue.

  • 2/25/2022

    : US Bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan allowed Johnson & Johnson to continue with its Chapter 11 petition for bankruptcy. This decision enabled Johnson & Johnson to block most lawsuits filed by victims as they try to negotiate a settlement. The judge wrote, “The Court remains steadfast in its belief that justice will best be served by expeditiously providing critical compensation through a court-supervised, fair, and less-costly settlement trust arrangement.”

  • 7/26/2021

    An Illinois Judge held defendant Johnson & Johnson in contempt of court after one of the top company executives and witnesses in the trial refused to appear for cross-examination.

  • 2/23/2021

    Johnson & Johnson filed a statement with the SEC, which disclosed that the company had put aside $3.9 billion to cover costs they anticipated from lawsuits. This came only a few months after the company said they were only setting $2 billion aside for expected costs of the cases.

  • 10/5/2020

    Johnson & Johnson agreed to the first settlement over these allegations and agreed to pay out $100 million to over 1000 plaintiffs. This was the first settlement of nearly 20,000 lawsuits that had been filed over multiple years.

  • 5/19/2020

    Johnson & Johnson announced that they would discontinue the sales of talc-containing Baby Powder in North America. They pointed to slowed sales and the incoming legal battles as reasons to end the product’s sales.

  • 4/27/2020

    US District Judge Freda Wolfson, the judge overseeing the MDL, ruled that the scientific and medical experts proposed by the plaintiff’s steering committee were qualified to testify to the link between talc use and ovarian cancer. This ruling proved the legitimacy of the plaintiffs’ claims and came as a blow to Johnson & Johnson, which has argued that any science linking talc with cancer is “junk science.” This ruling created a path forward for bellwether trials for the MDL.

  • 10/18/2019

    The FDA tested one lot of Johnson’s Baby Powder and discovered a type of asbestos in the product. This prompted a recall of about 33,000 bottles and multiple national retailers to pull the product from their shelves with a “Do Not Sell” prompt at registers.

  • 2/13/2019

    Imerys Talc America, Johnson & Johnson’s talc supplier, filed a voluntary petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The goal of this filing was to protect themselves from the more than 14,000 lawsuits filed against them over its talc causing cancer in consumers.

     

  • 12/19/2018

    Johnson & Johnson lost its motion to overturn the jury verdict that awarded $4.7 billion in Missouri. The judge dismissed the motion, writing that “Substantial evidence was adduced at trial of particularly reprehensible conduct” by Johnson & Johnson.

  • 7/12/2018

    In the State of Missouri 22nd Judicial Circuit Court, a case on behalf of 22 women who had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer was found in favor of the plaintiffs, and $4.7 billion was awarded. This was the first case where the presence of asbestos was included as the cause of ovarian cancer.

  • 8/21/2017

    One case among many consolidated in a Los Angeles, CA jury found in favor of plaintiff Eva Echeverria against Johnson & Johnson, finding their talcum powder responsible for her ovarian cancer. She was awarded $417 million in damages.

  • 5/4/2017

    A jury in St. Louis, MO, found in favor of plaintiff Lois Slemp on counts of personal injury, conspiracy, implied warranty, and negligence related to her ovarian cancer that she alleged was caused by Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder. A total of $110 million was awarded in compensatory and punitive damages.

  • 10/27/2016

    A jury in St. Louis, MO, found Johnson & Johnson and Imerys Talc American liable for negligence, failure to warn, concealment, and conspiracy. This was the first time that Johnson & Johnson talc supplier Imerys was also found liable. Overall, plaintiff Deborah Giannecchini was awarded approximately $70 million in damages.

  • 2/22/2016

    A jury in St. Louis, MO, found Johnson & Johnson liable for the development of plaintiff Jacqueline Fox’s ovarian cancer. The jury awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $62 million in punitive damages to the estate of Ms. Fox, who passed away from cancer four months before the trial concluded.

  • 11/13/2014

    Two St. Louis women filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of women who had used talcum powder and been exposed to a risk of cancer without warning. The research showing a link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer goes back to the early 1970s, and the case pointed to 1982 as the latest possible date where Johnson & Johnson may have been aware, citing a company official who admitted to being aware of the research in a 1982 New York Times article.

  • 10/4/2013

    A jury ruled in favor of Deane Berg and found that the company’s negligence was a legal cause of her injuries.

  • 12/4/2009

    Deane Berg of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, filed a complaint against Johnson and Johnson, alleging the connection between her ovarian cancer diagnosis and the use of Johnson & Johnson talcum powder.  It was claimed that Johnson & Johnson offered her a large settlement in exchange for staying silent, but she turned it down in favor of warning other women.