A couple that originally won a $300 million jury verdict in their mesothelioma lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson has accepted a reduction to $105 million in punitive damages and $15 million in compensatory damages, closing the book on their long legal battle. The case revolved around the woman’s 50-year history of using Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower-to-Shower products, both of which they say were contaminated with the asbestos that caused her terminal disease.
14-Week Trial Had Ended With $300 Million Jury Verdict
Donald and Robert Olson’s original mesothelioma lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson took place in 2019. After hearing 14 weeks of testimony, a Manhattan jury agreed that asbestos in the company’s talc-based products had caused her illness and awarded the couple $300 million in punitive damages and $25 million in compensatory damages.
Despite the jury’s decision, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Gerald Lebovits wrote a 61-page opinion in which he agreed that the evidence had proven Johnson & Johnson responsible for Mrs. Olson’s mesothelioma, but that the damages had been excessive. He gave the couple 30 days to agree to the reduction, and since that time they signed on to the reduced damages, with a family representative indicating that Mr. and Mrs. Olson “look forward to moving this case toward completion.”
Mesothelioma Lawsuit Introduces New Evidence
One of the notable aspects of the New York mesothelioma lawsuit was the fact that Judge Lebovits allowed the introduction of new evidence in the punitive damages phase, including information about Johnson & Johnson’s advertisements and out-of-state conduct. They jury also heard evidence that the company had information as long ago as the 1950s that the talc they were using contained asbestos and that they had modified the data they provided to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding their products’ safety.
Mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases have caused pain and suffering to countless people. If you or someone you love has been affected by an asbestos-related disease and you need information, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
