She had used Johnson & Johnson brand Baby Powder and Shower to Shower for over 35 years. Little did she know that she may have been slowly poisoning herself for years, but according to a new verdict, Johnson & Johnson may have known since the 1980s, and the company may have done nothing to warn their customers.
Is Baby Powder Dangerous?
In 1982, Dr. Daniel Cramer helped conduct a study that found that using talc based cosmetic powder could increase a person’s risk of developing cancer. The doctor urged the companies that produce these powders to put warning labels on their products, but the advice has been ignored for decades. Now the family of a Birmingham, Alabama woman is trying to spread the word and make manufacturers pay for what they’ve done.
Are Manufacturers Liable For Baby Powder Defects?
The Alabama woman was diagnosed with ovarian cancer three years ago after using Johnson & Johnson talc products for decades. She passed in October at the age of 62, but her family has not stopped seeking justice on her behalf. A jury in Missouri has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay the victim’s family $10 million in actual damages and $62 million in punitive damages.
This Missouri case was the first case to award damages, but a federal case in Sioux Falls, South Dakota also came to the same conclusion—though no damages were awarded in that case. Johnson & Johnson continues to defend its products, saying that the science does not link their products to ovarian cancer, and that they take great care to protect the public’s safety. However, the company is still facing several hundred lawsuits claiming that the company failed to warn its customers about the risks of using its products.
To learn more about product liability and what big companies are hiding from you, their customers, keep following our blog, and tell us what you think on Facebook and Twitter.
From the personal injury attorneys at Colson Hicks Eidson—Making the law better by protecting the public.