Earlier this year, attorneys in the United Kingdom indicated that mesothelioma and ovarian cancer victims were preparing to file personal injury claims against consumer giant Johnson & Johnson. This week, a group of thousands filed court documents accusing the company of knowingly and negligently selling talc that it knew was contaminated with asbestos, echoing the same accusations made by tens of thousands of victims in the United States, which have increasingly resulted in multi-million-dollar awards.
Thousands of UK Mesothelioma and Ovarian Cancer Victims Take Legal Action
An estimated 3,000 United Kingdom citizens have already joined the lawsuit filed in the High Court in London, claiming that either they or one of their family members has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer or mesothelioma caused by exposure to Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder. In addition to naming the parent company, Johnson & Johnson, the claim includes current and former subsidiaries Kenvue UK and Johnson & Johnson Management.
Johnson & Johnson continues to deny that its product contained asbestos and insists that its powder complied with all regulations and does not cause cancer, but the company replaced the talc in its UK-sold products with cornstarch in 2023. In response, documents filed by the attorneys representing the mesothelioma and ovarian cancer victims indicate that “there exist very few, if any, commercially exploited talc deposits in the world which do not contain asbestos and that all of the mines supplying the defendants contained asbestos.”
Mesothelioma Claims Against Johnson & Johnson Cite Scientific Literature, Reports from Mines
The court documents submitted for the group of victims indicate that the company would have been informed of asbestos contamination in talc by both the mines from which they sourced their talc and from the company’s own internal research and existing scientific literature, yet suppressed the information from consumers. They also point to lobbying efforts and sponsored studies meant to “downplay the dangers” to human health and risk of mesothelioma and ovarian cancer. They accuse the company of acting in bad faith to protect its reputation and profits, as well as the goodwill attached to its name.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net are here to help. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608 to learn more.
