There are tens of thousands of malignant mesothelioma and ovarian cancer victims with outstanding personal injury claims against consumer giant Johnson & Johnson, and their ranks have been joined by a notable plaintiff: Los Angeles County has filed suit against the company, asserting that its talc-based products are responsible for illnesses in many of the county’s residents.
L.A. Joins Thousands of Mesothelioma and Ovarian Cancer Victims in Pursuing Compensation from J&J
Los Angeles County’s lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson goes beyond the negligence claims asserted by the ovarian cancer and mesothelioma victims across the country. In listing the “widespread public health impacts” that it says the company’s talc products have caused, it not only seeks compensation for “false and misleading representations about the product’s safety,” but also for targeting Hispanic and African American women in its marketing.
California County’s Lawsuit Details Health Studies Pointing to Asbestos in J&J Products
Johnson & Johnson’s defenses against mesothelioma claims have consistently rested on arguing that talc is not dangerous and that their product has never contained asbestos. But Los Angeles County’s carefully prepared case includes numerous health studies showing that talc products often contain asbestos, as well as to research linking the product to ovarian cancer and mesothelioma. It also asserts that Johnson & Johnson had been aware of the dangers since 1975, yet continued marketing and selling the product to Los Angeles County residents.
The county’s case reads in part, “Upon information and believe, in 1975, the J&J defendants were aware of Henderson, et al’s Tenovus data suggesting an association between talc and ovarian cancer and were thereby on notice of the association as early as the mid-1970s.” They also note that the company had considered replacing talc with cornstarch-based products because of the dangers but decided against doing so. The county notably chose not to name J&J’s subsidiary, LTL Management, which is facing a challenge to its bankruptcy filing.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease and you believe it may have been caused by exposure to talc, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608.
