Court: Circuit Court of South Carolina, Fifth Judicial Circuit
A South Carolina jury Aug. 16 returned a $64.4 million plaintiff’s verdict against product manufacturer Johnson & Johnson and supplier American International Industries.
Plaintiff Michael L. Perry filed a lawsuit against numerous defendants, alleging that he developed mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos through his personal use and his family’s use of talcum powder products, as well as from his work at various hotels and through maintenance work on personal vehicles. Regarding the talc defendants, plaintiff alleged that the defendants knew their products were contaminated with asbestos but failed to warn consumers.
After a weekslong trial, the jury determined that J&J and AII were negligent and that their negligence proximately caused plaintiff’s mesothelioma. The jury also determined that J&J and AII’s products were defective, and that AII engaged in fraudulent misrepresentation in selling its products, which was a proximate cause of plaintiff’s injuries. Moreover, the jury found both companies’ conduct to be willful, wanton, and reckless.
Ultimately, plaintiff received over $23 million in economic and other damages, while his wife, Lonnie Long, received over $9.6 million in loss of consortium damages. The jury also awarded plaintiff $30 million in punitive damages against J&J and $760,000 against AII.
Read the full decision here.