A recent California mesothelioma case involving Johnson & Johnson is the sixth mesothelioma trial against the company’s talcum powder products. Most of the lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson claimed that the company’s talc-based powder products caused either ovarian cancer or mesothelioma cancer.
In the aforementioned case that is currently before a California jury for consideration, the diagnosis in question involves malignant pleural mesothelioma.
The plaintiff in the California lawsuit is a 59-year-old woman named Carolyn Weirick, who alleges that her malignant pleural mesothelioma diagnosis received in 2017 was caused by a lifetime of using Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder or Shower to Shower products. The plaintiff’s legal argument is based upon the notion that the plaintiff accidentally inhaled asbestos fibers while using these products.
Weirick’s attorney told the jury at trial that talc is not as pure as many people believe, noting that asbestos cannot be processed out of talc. To better understand these claims, it is essential to note that asbestos and talc are both naturally occurring minerals. More specifically, these minerals often are found in close proximity to one another in their natural environments. As such, this substantially increases the likelihood that talc mineral deposits and rocks can be contaminated with asbestos.
And, asbestos is well-known to be the cause of malignant mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer and asbestosis. Indeed, thousands of lives are lost each year to the harms of asbestos, which is a tragic reminder that there is no known level of asbestos exposure deemed to be safe. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized this fact as well, which is an important reminder of what is at stake for victims exposed to asbestos as well as the talc powder litigation.
In a high-profile verdict, Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay more than $4.6 billion in a talcum powder case involving ovarian cancer. Mesothelioma lawsuits, however, have resulted in relatively mixed results.
The first mesothelioma talcum powder lawsuit, for example, resulted in a defense verdict in Los Angeles Superior Court, while a separate Los Angeles Superior Court case resulted in the jury awarding $25.75 million to the plaintiff. Two cases ended in mistrial, and a New Jersey mesothelioma lawsuit ended in an award of $117 million to the plaintiffs.
As just the sixth trial, as mentioned, it remains to be seen what will transpire in the ongoing trial. That said, these relatively mixed results are a reminder of why the law firm you choose matters.
The Ledger Law Firm is a nationally recognized mesothelioma law firm that has helped victims receive justice and recover millions in compensation for wrongful exposures to asbestos.
Contact us online for a free case evaluation to speak with a California mesothelioma lawyer at the nationally recognized Ledger Law Firm today.
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