A Los Angeles jury has ordered consumer giant Johnson & Johnson to pay $32 million in damages to the family of Maria Lozano, a woman who died from mesothelioma. The woman was diagnosed with the rare, asbestos-related disease after using the company’s talc-based baby powder on herself and her children for decades.
Mesothelioma Jury Rejects Johnson & Johnson’s Environmental Exposure Theory
While the mesothelioma victim’s family pointed to evidence of asbestos contamination in the company’s iconic product, the company argued that her illness was caused by environmental conditions in Mexico City, where Lozano had lived until she was 21. Johnson & Johnson’s attorneys also attempted to blame cosmetic products and automotive industry products used by her husband for her illness. Still, the jury unanimously rejected these arguments and granted the family financial compensation for their loss.
Speaking for the family, a representative said, “Johnson & Johnson tried to blame everything from environmental conditions in Mexico City to cosmetics and automotive work. The jury concluded that Maria Lozano’s mesothelioma was caused by decades of exposure to asbestos-contaminated Johnson’s Baby Powder.”
Johnson & Johnson Faces Many More Mesothelioma Trials
Though J&J announced it would immediately appeal the mesothelioma verdict, calling it “irreconcilable with decades of scientific studies that prove that Johnson’s Baby Powder is safe, does not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer,” many juries across the country have handed down similar decisions and awards, and now that the company has abandoned its effort to use a complex bankruptcy maneuver to escape liability, it faces tens of thousands more claims that its product caused both mesothelioma and ovarian cancer diagnoses.
Previous major mesothelioma and ovarian cancer verdicts in Los Angeles include a $40 million ovarian cancer verdict in December 2025 and a $966 million mesothelioma verdict in October 2025 that a judge later reduced to $16 million. For Maria Lozano’s family, the $32 million damages award represents justice for a woman who trusted the company’s promise that its product was safe and pure.
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.
