Talcum Powder

Talcum Powder

Johnson & Johnson baby powder and Shower to Shower are the most widely used and recognizable brands of this powder. Unfortunately, thousands of lawsuits have been filed on behalf of women who have developed ovarian cancer or men and women who have developed mesothelioma after exposure to talcum powder products. These lawsuits seek to hold the manufacturers accountable and seek justice for the injured men and women. In 2018, juries have returned favorable verdicts in talcum powder lawsuits.

BACKGROUND

The litigation surround the claim that manufacturers of talcum-based powder, Johnson & Johnson (J&J), Vanderbilt Minerals, Colgate-Palmolive and Imerys Talc America, knew their talc was contaminated by asbestos and could cause mesothelioma and ovarian cancer, but they did nothing to warn consumers about the risk of their products. J&J faces the largest number of talc cancer claims.

According to the Reuters story, J&J raw talc and talcum powder tested positive for trace amounts of asbestos on several occasions between 1971 and 2003. The article cited numerous internal company memos, reports and other documents disclosed during talc lawsuits that suggest the company knew of the danger.

Yaeger Law has spent years representing women who have been harmed by medical devices, drugs, and products that are targeted to women. We are ready to work tirelessly for you and hold the Johnson & Johnson accountable. The Yaeger Law difference is that as we work to obtain results for you, we guarantee to provide you the best client experience at every stage of the litigation process.

If you or a loved one developed cancer or mesothelioma after using talcum powder, you may be entitled to compensation.

Contact Yaeger Law to discuss the details of your potential talcum powder lawsuit.

TALCUM POWDER TIMELINE:

• 1950’s – Earliest mentions of tainted J&J talc containing tremolite, a mineral classified as asbestos, surface in a 2018 Reuters investigation.
• 1971 – A study published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology finds talc particles “deeply embedded” in ovarian and cervical cancer tumors.
• 1975 – J&J acknowledges the link between talc use on the genitals and ovarian cancer, referring to it as the “talc ovary problem” in an internal memo released during an ovarian cancer trial in 2017.
• 1976 – J&J tells the FDA that there was no asbestos in its talc tested between December 1972 and October 1973. But at least three tests from 1972 to 1975 had found asbestos in the talc.
• 1982 – A case-control study in the journal Cancer finds women who used talcum powder on their genitals or sanitary napkins had a higher risk of ovarian cancer than women who did not.
• 2006 – The International Agency for Research on Cancer, an arm of the World Health Organization, lists genital talc use as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” J&J’s talc supplier, Imerys, begins adding warnings about genital talc use and ovarian cancer in its shipments to J&J.
• 2011 – A study by Dr. Daniel W. Cramer and colleagues finds long-term talcum powder use increased ovarian cancer risk by 30 percent. Women who used it the longest had the greatest risk.
• 2016 to 2017 – Juries award verdicts of $72 million, $55 million, $70 million, $110 million and $417 million to women who claimed J&J’s talc-containing products caused their ovarian cancer. Some of these verdicts were overturned on appeal.
• 2018 – FDA begins testing cosmetic talc products for traces of asbestos, including talc-containing makeup.
• APRIL 2018 – A jury awards $117 million to a man who claimed asbestos-contaminated Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower-to-Shower led him to develop mesothelioma.
• JULY 2018 – A jury awards $4.17 billion to 22 women who claimed J&J’s asbestos-contaminated talc products caused them to develop ovarian cancer.
• FEBRUARY 2019 – J&J’s talc supplier, Imerys Talc America Inc., files for bankruptcy after it was hit with about 14,650 suits claiming its talc contained asbestos.
• JULY 2019 – The U.S. Justice Department begins a criminal investigation into whether or not J&J lied about the cancer risk linked to its talc-based products.
• AUGUST 2019 – J&J questions the reliability of plaintiffs’ experts and science linking talcum powder to cancer. The company previously called studies linking cancer to talc “junk science.” The judge must decide whether the plaintiffs’ experts’ opinions and science can be presented to a jury.
• OCTOBER 2019 – After the FDA found asbestos in a sample of Johnson’s Baby Powder, J&J recalls thousands of bottles of baby powder from lot #22318RB. Included 33,000 bottles. Major retailers, like CVS, Rite Aid and Walmart pulled all 22 ounce bottles off shelves.
• APRIL 2020 – In a Daubert ruling, U.S. District Judge Freda Wolfson finds that plaintiffs’ experts’ opinions on talcum powder and cancer are “substantially supported by the science” and will allow them to present their opinions to a jury.
• MAY 2020 – J&J stops selling talc-based baby powder in the U.S. and Canada.
  The company stated that the halt of sales was related to low sales.

Here is the latest information from the FDA on Talc.

If you or a loved one developed cancer or mesothelioma after using talcum powder, you may be entitled to compensation.

Contact Yaeger Law to discuss the details of your potential talcum powder lawsuit.