Most people today are familiar with the fresh scent of baby powder. It has become a characteristic smell of newborn babies. Many adult women use talcum powder to substitute vaginal odors with a fresher scent and to absorb moisture all day. Due to widespread daily use of Johnson’s baby powder, most people assume it’s a safe product. However, some women using the product also developed ovarian cancer, leaving researchers to believe the two may be related. As a result, nearly 20,000 baby powder ovarian cancer lawsuits are now pending across the United States.
A Brief History of Talc and Cancer
Scientists began studying the link between talcum powder and cancer starting in 1971 and discovered trace amounts of talc within ovarian and cervical tumors. Several studies have since been conducted with mixed results. Scientists still struggle to find a consensus on talcum powder’s potentially carcinogenic effects, but they do believe there is a correlation. Regardless of a definitive link, the pharmaceutical company has a responsibility to warn consumers about potential side effects and dangers. J&J has failed to notify the public about these risks for more than 40 years. Recently, more than 22 plaintiffs have won multimillion-dollar settlements after filing baby powder ovarian cancer lawsuits.
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Recent Baby Powder Ovarian Cancer Lawsuits
The first person to file a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson was Deane Berg, a physician’s assistant diagnosed at 49 with advanced ovarian cancer. Soon after Berg’s case ended, other women came forward, blaming the company for their ovarian cancer diagnoses. One of those women was Jacqueline Fox.
Fox’s lawyer, Jere Beasley, claimed, “They [J&J] made a conscious decision not to warn the customers they were using a very dangerous product.” Fox died in 2015, but a jury awarded her family $72 million in actual as well as punitive damages. Her son, plaintiff Marvin Salter, accepted the award after a jury ruled in Fox’s favor. Unfortunately, in 2017, an appeals court overturned this verdict and ruled in the defendant’s favor.
Despite this reversal, thousands of women are now filing baby powder ovarian cancer lawsuits against the pharmaceutical company. In June 2020, a judge upheld a $2.12 billion settlement awarded to 22 anonymous ovarian cancer plaintiffs. This ensured that every woman named in the settlement received at least $96 billion in damages apiece.
Johnson and Johnson’s suppliers added talc warning labels back in 2006, but according to litigation documents, J&J never followed suit. After a 2019 asbestos-related recall affecting more than 33,000 talcum powder bottles, J&J decided to halt talc-based product sales in the U.S. forever.
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What You Can Do
Despite the evidence, Johnson & Johnson still sells talcum powder products without warning women about its potential dangers. As a result, many women have suffered from debilitating illnesses and death. If you or someone you love used talcum powder products and subsequently developed ovarian cancer, you may have a claim.
If you intend to file a baby powder ovarian cancer lawsuit, get a free case review today. A lawyer will contact you discuss next steps and determine whether you may qualify for compensation from the manufacturer.
Mandy Voisin
Mandy Voisin is a freelance writer, blogger, and author of Girls of the Ocean and Star of Deliverance. As an accomplished content marketing consultant, mom of four and doctor's wife, Mandy has written hundreds of articles about dangerous drugs and medical devices, medical issues that impact disabled Americans, veterans' healthcare and workers' compensation issues since 2016.