The risks of asbestos in construction materials and in vehicle parts, like brake pads, is well-known. But there may be a link between asbestos-related diseases and routine products such as talcum powder. A federal court judge recently allowed thousands of plaintiffs to proceed with their lawsuit charging that Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder was contaminated with asbestos and heavy metals that caused ovarian cancer.
There are over 16,000 talc related lawsuits against J&J across the country. A judge issued her ruling in the federal district court in New Jersey last month.
She ruled that experts can plaintiff experts can testify that J&J’s talcum products caused cancer based upon epidemiological studies. They are also permitted to testify that there may be a link between the asbestos and heavy metal contaminated talc with these cancers.
The judge restricted the experts from testifying that inhaling talcum power can travel to the ovaries. But they may testify that talc can reach the ovaries when it is used vaginally.
J&J sought to prohibit all the plaintiffs’ experts from testifying which could have effectively ended all the lawsuits in this court. The company denied that talc causes cancer and said that tests by international regulators demonstrated that its talc is safe and does not contain asbestos. It also stated that the court did not rule on the validity of the plaintiffs’ underlying allegations.
Similar lawsuits against J&J over its talcum power were filed in state courts throughout the country and have gone to trial. A trial in St. Louis included 22 plaintiffs and resulted in a record $4.69 billion verdict against J&J in July 2018.
J&J is appealing that verdict. It stated that it was successful in reversing all lawsuits that have gone through the appeal process.
Asbestos exposure may cause other serious cancers and diseases. An attorney can help obtain evidence and pursue compensation for you and your family from your exposure.