New Jersey Jury to Hear Second Baby Powder Mesothelioma Case

In the next several months, juries all over the United States will be hearing testimony about asbestos in Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder causing mesothelioma and other forms of cancer. In New Jersey, one such trial resulted in a verdict of $117 million for a mesothelioma victim, and now a new jury has been seated to decide on a similar case involving 70-year-old Rosalind Henry. 

Mrs. Henry and her husband are accusing Johnson & Johnson’s talcum baby powder of causing her malignant mesothelioma by not adequately testing their product for the presence of asbestos and not warning of the dangers that asbestos in the product might present to her health. She claims to have purchased and used hundreds of containers of the product in the years between 1967 and 1990, first using it on her children and then continuing to use it on herself. She was diagnosed with the rare and fatal form of cancer two years ago at the age of 68, and since that time has suffered with pain, depression and shortness of breath for which she has undergone numerous surgeries.

According to Mrs. Henry’s spokesperson, her mesothelioma has dramatically impacted her life. “She barely gets out of bed on a daily basis and, when she does, because of all the medication she has to take, she collapses. She can’t stand up. She can’t walk. She can’t get around.” The lawsuit contends that had Rosalind Henry known of the risks posed by asbestos in the talc baby powder she was using, she would not have used the product. Johnson & Johnson’s maintains that their product was safe and that they tested for the presence of asbestos, but the Henry’s lawsuit contends that the testing methodology that was used was purposely insufficient and that an alternative form of testing of containers of baby powder from the years that she used the product tested positive for the carcinogenic material. The jury is expected to hear testimony for several weeks.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and you’re not sure where your asbestos to exposure came from, there’s a chance it was from Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder. If you need assistance in finding the truth or in accessing any of the many resources available to victims of asbestos exposure, contact 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.

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