Johnson & Johnson told to pay $300M in talc powder lawsuit: reports
Johnson & Johnson will reportedly launch an appeal after they were ordered Friday to pay $300 million in punitive damages to a woman who alleged that her cancer associated with asbestos was triggered by the company’s talc powder.
A jury in New York issued the decision in favor of Donna Olson, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The case has yielded $325 million collectively after Olson and her husband recently won another $25 million in compensatory damages, CNBC reported.
Johnson & Johnson issued a statement obtained by CNBC following the decision, insisting their baby powder was free of asbestos and was not carcinogenic. They also appeared confident that an appeal would be successful.
“This trial suffered significant legal and evidentiary errors which Johnson & Johnson believes will warrant a reversal on appeal,” Johnson & Johnson said. “Decades of tests by independent experts and academic institutions repeatedly confirm that Johnson’s Baby Powder does not contain asbestos or cause cancer.”
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| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JNJ | JOHNSON & JOHNSON | 155.39 | +0.88 | +0.57% |
Olson lawyer Jerome Block hailed the decision, telling The Journal that “another jury has rejected J&J’s misleading claims that its talc was free of asbestos.”
The company is looking at more than 14,000 claims pertaining to talc, the outlet reported.