Baby Powder Mesothelioma Lawsuit in California Begins

Yesterday marked the beginning of yet another mesothelioma lawsuit brought against iconic cosmetic company Johnson & Johnson, accusing the company of allowing its talc-based products to be contaminated with asbestos and failing to warn the public about the dangers that the products posed to their health. This case is being heard by a California jury, and is one of more than a dozen that are already scheduled for 2019.

Latest Talc Baby Powder Mesothelioma Lawsuit Filed in California

The plaintiff in the California case is Terry Leavitt, who was first diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma in 2017 after years of using Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based product in the Philippines. She claims that the talc used in the product sold in the Philippines when she was a baby was sourced from South korean mines, and that talc samples from those mines tested positive for asbestos fibers, just as talc from U.S. sources had. The company counters her evidence by saying that the fibers that her expert witnesses will testify about can not be classified as asbestos.

11,700 Lawsuits Filed Against Johnson & Johnson Over Asbestos in Talc

In addition to mesothelioma lawsuits, many women who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer are also blaming Johnson & Johnson for their illnesses, claiming that asbestos in the product traveled into their body after they used it vaginally, as the company’s marketing campaign promoted. Most of the lawsuits that have been filed against Johnson & Johnson have also named Imerys Talc America, the company that supplied the talc to Johnson & Johnson. Where Johnson & Johnson has fought nearly all of the lawsuits filed against it, Imerys has settled many of the legal actions in which they have been named.

Report Details Damning Evidence Against Johnson & Johnson

The mesothelioma lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson is likely to be made more complicated by the recent publication of a report in Reuters which provided information about internal Johnson & Johnson documents that referred to asbestos in the years between the 1970s and the early 2000s. Despite mounting evidence, Johnson & Johnson has argued that their product has never contained asbestos.

If you have been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, whether due to asbestos in a talc-based product or any other source, we are here to help. Call the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net at  1-800-692-8608.

Written by Terri Oppenheimer

Terri Heimann Oppenheimer is the head writer of our Mesothelioma.net news blog. She graduated from the College of William and Mary with a degree in English. Terri believes that knowledge is power and she is committed to sharing news about the impact of mesothelioma, the latest research and medical breakthroughs, and victims’ stories.

Learn more about and contact Terri