Massive verdict links talc products to deadly cancer
Johnson & Johnson has been ordered to pay $966 million to the family of Mae Moore, a woman who died from mesothelioma in 2021. A Los Angeles court delivered the verdict late Monday, awarding $16 million in compensatory damages and $950 million in punitive damages. The jury found that J&J’s talc-based baby powder contained asbestos fibers that caused Moore’s rare and aggressive cancer.
Company vows to appeal, denies product risks
Johnson & Johnson announced plans to appeal the ruling, calling it “egregious and unconstitutional.” Erik Haas, J&J’s global litigation chief, argued that the case relied on “junk science” and that their products do not contain asbestos or cause cancer. The company has consistently maintained the safety of its talc products, despite past lawsuits. The Supreme Court has previously ruled that punitive damages should generally not exceed nine times compensatory damages, potentially opening the door for a reduced payout.
Ongoing legal and financial fallout
This is not the first high-profile judgment against J&J. In 2016, a Missouri court awarded $72 million to the family of another cancer victim, and in 2024, the company paid $700 million to settle a multistate consumer safety investigation. J&J halted sales of its talc-based baby powder in the U.S. in 2020 and globally in 2023, switching to a cornstarch alternative amid mounting legal challenges.
Thousands of lawsuits still pending
The company currently faces over 67,000 lawsuits alleging its talc products caused cancer, mostly ovarian cancer. While J&J attempted to use bankruptcy to settle the claims, courts have rejected its proposals multiple times. Lawsuits tied to mesothelioma represent a smaller subset but have yielded several large jury awards in the past year. Monday’s verdict is among the largest to date. Some trials have gone in J&J’s favor, such as a recent case in South Carolina, but many others continue to proceed in state courts.
