After mesothelioma took Winifred Haddad’ life in November 2020, her family blamed asbestos-contaminated talc in Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder for her illness. They are now asking a Massachusetts state jury to hold the company responsible by ordering it to pay $60 million in compensation.
Mesothelioma Family Argues J&J Knew About Asbestos for Decades
Mesothelioma victims and their families have long argued that Johnson & Johnson knew the dangers of its talc, and during closing arguments yesterday, the family’s attorney told jurors that Haddad’s illness was caused by the company’s iconic talc product. Haddad died about six months after being diagnosed with the rare, asbestos-related disease, and roughly a year and a half after she was diagnosed with serious heart problems.
The jurors heard that the company had been warned about asbestos contamination in talc since at least 1971 and that uncontaminated talc could not be produced. The attorney pointed to evidence that, after internally discussing possible harm to the lungs of babies and mothers, the company “built a script that they stuck to until 2017.” Though the script promoted a 38-step washing process J&J to customers, doctors, and regulators, its own expert admitted ten times at trial that the process could not actually remove asbestos.
Mesothelioma and Heart Failure at the Center of the Dispute
One of the biggest points of contention at trial was the role that mesothelioma played in Haddad’s death. While the family’s attorney asserted that medical records clearly show that the cancer was interfering with her heart, the company pointed to her death certificate, which listed cardiac arrest and congestive heart failure, and presented a record that described the invasion of the heart muscle as superficial. J&J’s attorney claimed that Mrs. Haddad’s cancer was shrinking on the last day of her life, that she did not have end-stage disease, and that her treatment had never stopped.
Despite arguing against mesothelioma’s role in the victim’s death, the company also attempted to blame her illness on other possible exposure sources, including a furnace problem that had forced the family to move out for a month. They also argued that no bottle of the powder that Haddad used had ever been tested for the toxic mineral.
The Haddad family’s journey is the latest in a long line of trials arguing that Johnson & Johnson knew about asbestos in its talc products, and victims and their families will be waiting for the jury’s decision. If you or someone you love has been affected by this devastating disease, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today to learn about the resources that are available to you.
