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 Tracker).
While a written opinion from Judge Von Ter Stegge explaining her decision is forthcoming, counsel for the plaintiff has released a statement noting that they intend to appeal the court’s ruling. The Asbestos Case Tracker will continue to monitor this matter for further developments.