Johnson & Johnson has been a trusted name for baby and personal care products for decades. Talcum powder for use by babies and adults has been one of its most popular products.
As early as 1973 and 1974, Johnson & Johnson itself looked into whether talc obtained from a particular mine in Vermont and another one in Italy contained asbestos. The company issued internal reports acknowledging the discovery of “talc fragments…[that] might be classified as asbestos fibers” in both mines.
Coincidentally, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began regulating the use of asbestos during the ’70s and ’80s. By the late 1980s, the EPA announced a ban on new uses of asbestos. These bans and regulations came after decades of observation of health problems of asbestos miners.
Meanwhile, women and children (for the most part) continued using Johnson & Johnson baby powder made with talcum powder — often in the perineal area surrounding private parts of the body. In recent years, correlations have been identified between use of this product and the occurrence of ovarian cancer.
Public health authorities have long called attention to the hazards of asbestos mining and use. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared asbestos to be a carcinogen causing various types of cancer, including ovarian cancer. Based on known dangers, Canada has labeled talc as a carcinogen. Those labels are torn off the talc bundles once they cross over into the United States.
Despite these alarming, well-documented trends, Johnson & Johnson has defended the safety of its talcum powder products, even when sources of asbestos-tainted talc used in those products had been identified. As recently as the 1990s, Johnson & Johnson reportedly took action to avoid regulations or warning labels indicating the possible existence of asbestos in the baby powder.
So what about talcum powder users who have developed ovarian cancer?
Recent legal breakthroughs for these victims have included jury verdicts for manufacturing negligence against Johnson & Johnson and its suppliers totaling tens of millions of dollars for failing to warn of the health hazards.
According to a Reuters article from July 2018 about a recent landmark case, “A St. Louis, Missouri jury…ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay a record $4.69 billion to 22 women who alleged the company’s talc-based products, including its baby powder, contain asbestos and caused them to develop ovarian cancer.” (Source: Reuters).
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer after having used talcum powder over time, you may naturally wonder whether this information is important to you. To explore answers and potential legal action you may take, consult with an experienced personal injury attorney with experience and knowledge relevant to serious injuries such as cancer caused by dangerous drugs, medical devices, and health-related products like baby powder marketed for alleged therapeutic qualities.
Holland Injury Law, LLC, based in St. Louis, Missouri, where the largest talc verdicts were handed down against Johnson & Johnson, has helped many people who suffered injury and harm through the use of dangerous and defective products. Please contact our firm via email or by calling 314-888-7888 to discuss your case with one of our experienced lawyers. We will aggressively tackle an investigation to determine whether you have a viable product liability case after talcum powder use coincides with a later diagnosis of ovarian cancer.
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