Talc Archives - Asbestos Case Tracker

Connecticut Jury Awards $15 Million Talc Verdict against Johnson & Johnson Entities

Court: Connecticut Superior Court – Fairfield at Bridgeport County

In this asbestos action, Plaintiffs Evan Plotkin and Martha Barry-Plotkin filed suit claiming Mr. Plotkin had asbestos exposure from, among other things, personal use of Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder from the 1950s through the 2000s.

Plaintiffs alleged that Johnson & Johnson owned the Vermont talc mines that were the source of the asbestos exposure, which resulted in Mr. Plotkin to develop mesothelioma. The lawsuit eventually encompassed J&J and its entities that were created by J&J through …

October 30, 2024 Asbestos Exposure / Bankruptcy / Indemnification / Preliminary Injunction / Successor Liability / Talc

Posted by: Anthony I. Perchiacca

Debtor’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction Granted

Jurisdiction: United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey

Whittaker, Clark & Daniels Inc. and its affiliates (Debtors) initiated this bankruptcy action with the Federal District Court of New Jersey. They previously filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to address and resolve existing and future claims alleging injuries from exposure to products containing talc, asbestos, or chemical compounds processed or distributed by the debtors or their predecessors in interest. As a result of this litigation, debtors are defendants in 638 lawsuits across more than …

October 16, 2024 Talc / Verdict

Posted by: Kerry L. Jones

Connecticut Jury Returns $15M Verdict against J&J in Talc Trial

Court: Fairfield County, Connecticut Superior Court

A Connecticut jury on Tuesday awarded a $15 million dollar plaintiff’s verdict against Johnson & Johnson and several subsidiaries.

Plaintiff, Evan Plotkin, filed a lawsuit alleging he developed mesothelioma from his use of various brands of cosmetic talcum powders and talcum powder-based art supplies over the course of his life. At the time of trial, J&J and its subsidiaries, which were sued for their baby powder product, were the only remaining defendants

After a weeks-long trial, the jury on …

October 9, 2024 Causation / Experts / Subpoenas / Talc

Posted by: Kerry L. Jones

Plaintiff’s Causation Expert Must Identify Subjects of Talc Causation Studies

Court: Supreme Court of the State of New York, Appellate Division, First Judicial Department

The Supreme Court of the State of New York, Appellate Division, First Judicial Department recently determined that a causation expert widely used by plaintiffs in talc litigation, Dr. Jacquline Moline, must identify the subjects of her talc causation studies.

Johnson & Johnson (J&J ) sought out-of-state subpoenas in the Supreme Court of New York, New York County (NYCAL), in connection with ongoing litigation in New Jersey. The subpoenas specifically requested that …

September 18, 2024 Talc / Verdict

Posted by: Kerry L. Jones

$260M Talc Verdict Overturned by Oregon Judge

Court: Fourth Judicial District Court for Multnomah County, Oregon (Portland)

On September 13, 2024, Oregon state court judge Katharine Von Ter Stegge granted defendant Johnson & Johnson’s motion to overturn a $260 million verdict and to hold a new trial. By way of background, in June 2024 a jury awarded plaintiff Kyung Lee $200 million in compensatory damages and $60 million in punitive damages (covered in Goldberg Segalla’s Asbestos Case Tracker here: Oregon Jury Renders $260M Verdict for Plaintiff in Talc Trial – Asbestos Case …

August 14, 2024 Motion to Dismiss / Talc

Posted by: Kerry L. Jones

Talc Manufacturer’s Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim Granted

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Eastern Division

Decedent Carole Zicklin passed away from mesothelioma in September 2021. The decedent’s daughters subsequently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a number of defendants, including PTI Union, LLC. The lawsuit alleged that the decedent was exposed to asbestos from talcum powder products that she “wore and used on a daily basis throughout her life in New York City” and during the course of her employment “at the locations mentioned above” from “large amounts of …

August 14, 2024 Bankruptcy / New York / Talc

Posted by: Kerry L. Jones

Avon Files for Bankruptcy to Address Talc Lawsuits

Court: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware

Avon Products Inc., a U.S.-based “non-operational” holding company, announced Monday that it is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to “address its debt and legacy talc liabilities.” In recent years, hundreds of talc lawsuits have been filed against Avon. Its court filings state the company no longer has “sufficient liquidity to litigate and/or settle” any other talc case and that Avon expects the number of lawsuits to “only increase absent a permanent solution.” Avon indicated it intends …

Business and lawyers discussing contract papers with brass scale on desk

August 1, 2024 Talc / Trial / Verdict

Posted by: Kerry L. Jones

Chicago Jury Returns $24.4M Plaintiff Verdict in Talc Trial

Court: Circuit Court of Cook County

A Cook County jury on July 29 returned a Plaintiff’s verdict after a weeks-long trial against personal care and cosmetic manufacturer Avon Products Inc.

Plaintiff Cipriano Ramirez worked as a janitor at an Avon facility in Morton Grove, Illinois in the 1980s. The facility produced various products, including talcum powder-based products. Mr. Ramirez alleged he was exposed to asbestos-contaminated talcum powder during his time working at the facility, which eventually led to his 2023 pleural mesothelioma diagnosis. The …

April 23, 2024 Florida / Talc / Trial / Verdict

Posted by: Nicole Caspers

Florida Jury Returns Defense Verdict in Ovarian Cancer Trial

Court: United States District Court, Middle District of Florida

On Thursday April 18, a Florida jury found the talcum powder in Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder product did not cause the ovarian cancer of deceased Sarasota County resident Patricia Matthey.

The plaintiffs alleged in their complaint that J&J suppressed scientific evidence linking talc products to increased cancer risk and that the corporation knew for decades that the talc used in its baby powder could be contaminated with asbestos. At trial, J&J argued that there was …

April 23, 2024 Illinois / Talc / Trial / Verdict

Posted by: Nicole Caspers

Chicago Jury Returns $45M Plaintiffs Verdict in Talc Trial

Court: Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois

On April 19, a Chicago jury ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $45 million to the family of a Cook County woman named Theresa Garcia who died from mesothelioma, allegedly caused by exposure to asbestos in various talc powder products.

Plaintiffs claimed that Theresa Garcia inhaled asbestos fibers contained in the talc, citing to lab tests, which demonstrated talc products could contain small amounts of asbestos, which they say could then cause mesothelioma.

In a statement issued following …