A Florida jury is the latest to agree that asbestos in Johnson & Johnson’s talc products led to a consumer’s mesothelioma death. After seven weeks of testimony, the Broward County panel ordered the consumer giant to pay $20 million to the family of a noted nephrologist who died after a lifetime of using the company’s iconic baby powder product.
Asbestos-Contaminated Talc Blamed for Doctor’s Mesothelioma Death
Starting last September, the jury heard the details of Dr. Alberto A. Casaretto, Sr’s life before he died of mesothelioma in 2017. The highly respected physician practiced in Fort Lauderdale and had been a member of the first kidney transplant team in Florida.
Remembered for having treated patients in need for free and donating dialysis machines, Dr. Casaretto had applied Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder after every shower in the humid climate of his native Argentina, and kept doing so when he immigrated to Florida in 1969. He died of mesothelioma at the age of 79.
Mesothelioma Victim’s Only Asbestos Exposure was from Talc
Johnson & Johnson has been named in tens of thousands of mesothelioma and ovarian cancer lawsuits that blame asbestos in its talc for victims’ illnesses and deaths. While the company’s defense against these claims frequently points to other potential exposures, in Dr. Casaretto’s case, there were none, so instead it turned to inferring that the family had interfered with evidence.
Despite the FDA having detected asbestos in the popular product in 2019, the company continues to insist in court that its product contained no asbestos. In Dr. Casaretto’s mesothelioma case, Johnson & Johnson’s attorneys asserted that even had the talc powder been contaminated, the levels would have been too low to cause his illness.
Verdict is the Latest Multi-Million Award for Mesothelioma Victims
The last several weeks have seen other juries agree that Johnson & Johnson’s products were responsible for victims’ mesothelioma, with a California jury awarding a woman’s family nearly a billion dollars. Speaking of the $20 million award, a family representative said, “This verdict is for the families who never knew the dangers hidden in Johnson’s Baby Powder. For too long, Johnson & Johnson has ignored the pain of the people harmed by its product. Today, this family was finally heard.”
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net have the resources and information you need. For help, contact us today at 1-800-692-8608.
