ST. LOUIS, July 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A jury has awarded
$4.69 billion to 22 women and their
families who alleged that decades of daily use of Johnson &
Johnson's (NYSE: JNJ) asbestos-laden talcum powder products caused
their ovarian cancer.
The six-man, six-woman jury in Judge Rex
M. Burlison's 22nd Judicial Circuit Court in
St. Louis heard six weeks of
testimony and deliberated eight hours before returning the verdict.
The jury award includes $550 million
in compensatory damages and $4.14
billion in punitive damages against the company.
While there have been other trials in which juries have
determined that talc products contained asbestos and caused
mesothelioma cancer, this case marks the first
talc/asbestos-induced ovarian cancer verdict in the United States. Jurors heard evidence that
Johnson & Johnson's Baby Powder and Shower to Shower products
have been laced with asbestos for decades, in spite of the
representations J&J made to the FDA and others.
Mark Lanier, lead trial counsel
for the women and their families, introduced evidence from
scientific experts to explain how asbestos, a well-known
carcinogen, is intermingled with the mineral talc. Talc is the
primary ingredient in Johnson's
Baby Powder and Shower to Shower products.
Medical experts testified that microscopic asbestos fibers enter
the body when talcum powder is inhaled or applied to the genital
area. Asbestos fibers and talc particles were found in the
ovarian tissues of many of the women.
"For over 40 years, Johnson & Johnson has covered up the
evidence of asbestos in their products," said Mr. Lanier. "We hope
this verdict will get the attention of the J&J board and that
it will lead them to better inform the medical community and the
public about the connection between asbestos, talc, and ovarian
cancer. The company should pull talc from the market before causing
further anguish, harm, and death from a terrible disease. J&J
sells the same powders in a marvelously safe corn starch variety.
If J&J insists on continuing to sell talc, they should mark it
with a serious warning."
Many of the women took the stand at trial to talk about their
use of the products and how ovarian cancer affected their quality
of life. Six of the plaintiffs have died and were represented at
trial by husbands and family members.
In addition to Mr. Lanier, the trial team includes attorneys Lee
Cirsch, Rachel Lanier, Dr. Robert
Leone, Michael Akselrud, and
Monica Cooper of the Lanier Law
Firm. Co-counsel Eric D.Holland of
the Holland Law Firm in St. Louis,
Missouri, was also integrally involved in the trial.
The Lanier Law Firm has offices in Houston, Oklahoma
City, New York, and
Los Angeles. For close to 30
years, the firm has worked tirelessly to find unique solutions to
its clients' unique needs. The firm is composed of more than 60
skilled attorneys, practicing in a broad array of areas, including
business fraud, asbestos exposure, commercial litigation, personal
injury, oil and gas litigation, among others. Visit
http://www.lanierlawfirm.com.
Media Contact:
Barry
Pound
(214) 293-0860
barry@androvett.com
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content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/st-louis-jury-returns-4-69-billion-verdict-in-first-trial-linking-baby-powder-asbestos-and-ovarian-cancer-300680511.html
SOURCE Lanier Law Firm