A Los Angeles County Superior Court jury has ordered cosmetic manufacturer Port Jervis Laboratories, Inc. (formerly Kolmar Laboratories) to pay $12.75 million in damages to the family of a Los Angeles physician who died from mesothelioma. The jury found that the company had failed to warn consumers about the dangers of asbestos hidden in its talc-based products.
Mesothelioma Death Linked to Jafra Brand Cosmetics
After Dr. Rosalinda Flores Soto died of mesothelioma in April of 2021, her husband, Abel Eduardo Vasquez Hernandez, filed a wrongful death lawsuit as successor-in-interest along with other family members against the cosmetic manufacturer. Dr. Soto had used Kolmar’s Jafra brand cosmetic products from 1980 to 1996.
The trial lasted four weeks, during which time the mesothelioma victim’s family presented testimony and records showing that concerns about asbestos contamination in talc date back as far as the 1930s. Importantly, they demonstrated that the company and its subsidiaries had intentionally failed to reveal their knowledge of those risks to product users. The jurors agreed that Kolmar Labs had known about asbestos contamination risks in talc for decades but failed to warn consumers about the hazard within its product.
Cosmetic Talc Products Increasingly Blamed for Mesothelioma Deaths
The link between talc and asbestos — the mineral that causes mesothelioma — has existed for decades. The two minerals are frequently found in the same location, and contamination is common. As a result, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began testing talcum powder products as early as the 1970s. The agency suggested institution regulations requiring all talc-based products to be free of asbestos in 1973, but that effort was defeated in 1976 by powerful lobbying efforts on the part of the cosmetic industry. Since then, companies have insisted that their products are free of the carcinogenic material, but FDA testing has found some product contamination, and a 2018 Reuters report found that Johnson & Johnson had found asbestos in some of its products over the years and never reported it to the FDA.
Dr. Flores Soto died of mesothelioma at just 63 years old. Her case highlights the increased awareness that asbestos-contaminated talc in cosmetic products can lead to deadly illness, and that manufacturers like Kolmar Labs concealed important information from consumers who used their products daily. Though asbestos exposure risk has traditionally been linked to occupational exposure to men who worked with contaminated products, women who used these products in their makeup and personal care routines represent a new wave of victims.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or ovarian cancer and you suspect that contaminated talc may be to blame, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608 to learn more.
