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Kazan Law Wins a $26.5 Million Verdict in Johnson & Johnson Talc Baby Powder Lawsuit

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A California jury awarded over $26.5 million in damages to Christina Prudencio on claims that the multi-billion dollar company, Johnson & Johnson, ignored warnings that its popular talc baby powder contained asbestos. The 35-year-old plaintiff is represented by Joseph Satterley and Ian Rivamonte of Kazan Law and suffers from terminal mesothelioma, which is a type of cancer that affects the thin tissue lining the lungs, abdomen, and chest wall.

Prudencio was awarded $20 million for past and future pain-and-suffering damages, $4.1 million in past and future lost earnings, over $1.57 million in past and future household services, and $800,000 in past and future medical expenses. The jury also found that Johnson & Johnson acted with malice or oppression, and awarded $100,000 in punitive damages.

 

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Prudencio’s Story

Prudencio had used Johnson’s Baby Powder from birth up until she was 16 years old. She also continued to be indirectly exposed to the baby powder because it was used on her two younger siblings. According to her attorneys, Prudencio was pursuing a master’s degree while also working as a preschool teacher when she was diagnosed with mesothelioma and was forced to stop working.

In 2020, she underwent two invasive surgeries to remove malignant cancer. Prudencio’s attorneys also said that Johnson & Johnson knew that its talc contained cancer-causing asbestos before, during, and after Prudencio and her family were using Johnson’s Baby Powder. The company also failed to disclose this fact to the FDA and users of its baby powder. Johnson & Johnson only stopped selling the product in 2020 in the United States and Canadian markets because of the lawsuits. The jury rejected Johnson & Johnson’s defense that Prudencio’s cancer most likely resulted from a genetic mutation.

 

More Trouble for Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson is facing various claims that its talc baby powder caused cancer. In June 2021, the United States Supreme Court declined to hear Johnson & Johnson’s appeal from a judgment worth $2.1 billion that the Missouri Court of Appeals affirmed. The appellate court stated that the company’s conduct was reprehensible because they denied for decades the link between ovarian cancer and talc powder use.

The lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson alleged that the plaintiffs used the company’s talc baby powder and later discovered that they developed ovarian cancer. Likewise, they accused Johnson & Johnson of intentionally marketing and selling a product that raises an individual’s risk of developing ovarian cancer.

In response to the mounting jury verdicts and overwhelming ongoing litigation, the company has employed a legal maneuver called the “Texas two-step,” which permits companies to split in two, with one part of the company remaining viable and keeping valuable assets while the other seeks bankruptcy protection because it is saddled with the asbestos liabilities. But this scheme would delay and frustrate the rights of cancer victims to get their lawsuits resolved before a jury and a judge. As a result, cancer plaintiffs have asked the bankruptcy court to dismiss Johnson & Johnson’s “bad faith” bankruptcy case and allow them to pursue their lawsuits. A decision is expected by the end of February 2022.

 

Reach Out to an Experienced California Mesothelioma Lawyer Today

If you or a family member is suffering from mesothelioma, get in touch with our experienced California mesothelioma lawyers here at Kazan Law. You can schedule a free review of your case by calling 888-887-1238 or filling out our online form so you can learn more about your case and the most appropriate legal options for you. Our California mesothelioma lawyers have decades of experience handling mesothelioma cases and have secured billions of dollars in settlements or jury verdicts for our clients since 1974.

 

More Bad News for J&J as It Gets Hit with Federal Subpoenas from SEC and DOJ

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The bad news just keeps coming for Johnson & Johnson. As we blogged about in January, in late 2018, Reuters issued a report that alleged that internal documents uncovered in the course of litigation indicate that Johnson & Johnson was aware of the fact that its talc contained asbestos for several decades. In late February, the company announced that it received subpoenas from both the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) in relation to litigation involving alleged asbestos in its talc-based Baby Powder product line.

According to J&J, this is the first time that the company has disclosed that is has received subpoenas from federal agencies and that it intends to fully cooperate with them. In addition, the company stated that the federal inquiries “are related to news reports that included inaccurate statements and also withheld crucial information.”

 

You May Be Entitled to Significant Compensation

If you have used Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder or other talc-containing products and developed mesothelioma, it’s possible that you are legally entitled to significant compensation. In 2018, our law firm secured a $117 jury verdict on behalf of a lifelong baby powder user who developed mesothelioma. According to lead trial attorney Joe Satterley, “Johnson & Johnson and its supplier Imerys knew since the 1960’s that the talc used in Johnson’s Baby Powder contained asbestos, and that this might cause the companies to face litigation risks forty years in the future. Now, just as Johnson & Johnson’s confidential documents predicted, my client, a lifelong baby powder user, developed mesothelioma.”

 

Call Kazan Law Today to Schedule a Free Case Evaluation with an Attorney

If you or a family member has been diagnosed with mesothelioma after exposure to talc or otherwise, you should speak to a lawyer as soon as possible. The mesothelioma attorneys of Kazan Law have been helping mesothelioma victims and their families since 1974 and will review the facts of your case at no cost to you. To schedule your free case evaluation with a lawyer, call our office today at 888-887-1238, fill out the contact form on this page, or utilize our live chat widget.

Reuters: J&J Continued to Sell Talc Products for Years Despite Being Aware of the Risks

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Talc baby powder asbestos mesotheliomaAn explosive report filed by Reuters late last year alleges that internal documents show that Johnson & Johnson was aware of the fact that its baby powder contained cancer-causing asbestos for decades. According to the news agency, an examination of records that were made available in the course of litigation indicates that the J&J’s raw talc powder sometimes tested positive for asbestos. In addition, these documents suggest that the company’s executives, lawyers, doctors, and mine managers all worried about the issue but failed to disclose it to regulators or the general public.

Reuters explained that the evidence of what the company knew and when it knew it finally came to light after people who suspected that their cancer was related to talc use hired attorneys who had experience representing workers that had been exposed to asbestos.  Reuters reported that those attorneys knew from their earlier work that talc producers often tested for asbestos and demanded to see J&J’s records.
 

No Safe Levels of Exposure

According to the World Health Organization, there is no safe level of asbestos exposure. While it is certainly true that not everyone who is exposed to asbestos develops cancer, even a limited amount of exposure over time is sufficient to trigger the disease. Furthermore, there is a long latency period between exposure and adverse effects. In the case of mesothelioma, the latency period can be as long as 50 years. This means that even if current Johnson & Johnson talc products are not contaminated with asbestos, people can still get cancer from contaminated batches from decades ago. As a result, if you have developed mesothelioma or any other form of cancer that could be linked to asbestos and used products containing talc at any point in your life, you should discuss your case with an attorney as soon as you can.
 

Plaintiffs Have Recovered Significant Compensation

In recent years, plaintiffs have successfully sued Johnson & Johnson and Imerys, linking the use of its products to both mesothelioma and ovarian cancer. Just last year, the lawyers at Kazan Law won a $117 million verdict on behalf of 45-year old mesothelioma victim Steven Lanzo. According to lead trial attorney and Kazan Law partner Joe Satterley, “Johnson & Johnson and its supplier Imerys knew since the 1960’s that the talc used in Johnson’s Baby Powder contained asbestos, and that this might cause the companies to face litigation risks forty years in the future. Now, just as Johnson & Johnson’s confidential documents predicted, my client, a lifelong baby powder user, developed mesothelioma.”
 

Call Kazan, McClain, Satterley & Greenwood Today to Schedule a Free Consultation

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma after using talc-based products, you should speak to an attorney as soon as you can. Since 1974, the lawyers of Kazan Law have been helping mesothelioma victims obtain the compensation they deserve and have the skill and experience required to bring your case to the best resolution possible. To schedule a free case evaluation with one of our attorneys, call us today at 888-887-1238 or contact us by filling out the form on this page or by using the live chat widget.

Kazan Firm Wins $117 Million Johnson & Johnson’s Talc Baby Powder Verdict

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Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder Mesothelioma Trial Team

Pictured: The trial team included Joseph Satterley (left) and Denyse Clancy (right) from Kazan Law and Moshe Maimon (middle) from Levy Konigsberg LLP.

Kazan, McClain, Satterley & Greenwood, PC of Oakland, CA announces a $117 million verdict for their clients Stephen and Kendra Lanzo, formerly of Lafayette, CA. A jury this week found that Johnson’s Baby Powder contained asbestos, and that Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Inc. and its supplier Imerys Talc America, Inc. failed to adequately warn consumers of this fact, and further that Johnson & Johnson had a safer alternative design in cornstarch.

The jury awarded the Lanzo’s $37 million dollars as compensation for Stephen Lanzo’s asbestos cancer, mesothelioma, with 70% to Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Inc. and 30% to Imerys Talc America, Inc. The jury also awarded $80 million in punitive damages.

Trial counsel Joe Satterley explained that this historic victory was based on newly revealed confidential documents: “For the first time the jury was allowed to see secret, internal company documents showing that these companies knew that Johnson’s talc Baby Powder contains asbestos. As a result, the jury unanimously found that Johnson’s Baby Powder contained asbestos. Johnson & Johnson should stop selling Johnson’s talc Baby Powder and replace it with cornstarch.”

The confidential company documents also revealed that Johnson & Johnson in 1969 created “Project 101.” Project 101 showed that Johnson’s talc Baby Powder contained asbestos, and that it could cause cancer. Project 101 warned that in “forty years” the company could face litigation. In 1975, Johnson & Johnson’s talc mining subsidiary noted the presence of asbestos in the Vermont talc used in Johnson’s Baby Powder, and warned that it was a “severe health hazard.”

Imerys Talc America, headquartered San Jose, California, is the exclusive talc supplier to Johnson’s Baby Powder in North America. Imerys had also found asbestos in the Vermont talc mines in 1975, yet proceeded to purchase these mines and sell this talc for use in Johnson’s Baby Powder. An internal email revealed that Imerys failed to test the talc supplied for Johnson’s Baby Powder for four years, despite certifying to its customers that it had done so. Imerys’ confidential documents also showed that Imerys fought off regulation of its talc sales by creating “confusion” with the regulatory agencies, and by turning its regulatory efforts into a “game” as set forth on a “License to Market” monopoly board. On this board, a skull and cross bones and “DANGER” were placed next to squares marked “Public perception” and “Litigation.”

The case name is Stephen and Kendra Lanzo v. Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Inc. and Imerys Talc America, Inc. The Lanzo’s were represented at trial by Joseph Satterley and Denyse Clancy of Kazan, McClain, Satterley & Greenwood, P.C of Oakland, California and by Moshe Maimon of New York and New Jersey- based Levy Konigsberg, L.L.P.

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