Jury Hits Companies with $37 Million Verdict Over Talcum Powder

Apr 6, 2018 | Asbestos, Talc, Toxic Tort

Just one day after beginning deliberations, a New Jersey jury found Johnson & Johnson and Imerys responsible for a plaintiff’s mesothelioma, which plaintiff alleged resulted from his use of asbestos-contaminated talcum powder products. The jury’s verdict awarded $30 million in compensatory damages to Stephan Lanzo II (who developed mesothelioma) and $7 million in compensatory damages to his wife. Johnson & Johnson was found 70% liable for Lanzo’s injury, and Imerys 30% liable. The jury will return to the courthouse on Tuesday to begin the punitive damages phase of the trial.

In the case, plaintiff Stephan Lanzo II alleged that Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder product was contaminated with asbestos fibers that caused his mesothelioma. The plaintiff claimed that he used the talcum powder products from his infancy throughout his adulthood. Imerys was sued as the supplier of the talc to Johnson & Johnson.

During the trial, the jury saw studies from Johnson & Johnson showing that the talc used in the company’s talcum powder products was never contaminated with asbestos fibers. Johnson & Johnson pointed to studies conducted on Italian workers at the company’s talc mines and mills in Italy, which found no cases of mesothelioma among the workers. Nor were there any cases of mesothelioma found among Johnson & Johnson’s workers at its talc mines in Vermont. One of the more significant issues at trial was whether tremolite fibers found in samples of Johnson & Johnson talc were asbestos fibers or non-asbestos fibers. The distinction between the two fiber types is complex and relies heavily on scientific principles that the jury heard extensive testimony about.

In response, plaintiff’s attorneys stated during closing statements that the testing methods used by Johnson & Johnson were designed not to detect toxic minerals considered “asbestos” fibers and the company hid this fact from consumers and regulators. Counsel for Mr. Lanzo alleged that Johnson & Johnson specifically sought out tests that could only detect asbestos above certain levels – levels that it know would never be crossed by its talc products. 

This is the second trial of this kind linking Johnson & Johnson talc products to mesothelioma and the first involving a male plaintiff. The first case in which it was alleged that a plaintiff developed mesothelioma as a result of asbestos-contaminated talc took place in California. The trial ended in a defense verdict in Los Angeles Superior Court in November 2017. In that case, Johnson & Johnson successfully argued that Herford’s exposure to asbestos was from other sources, including her father’s clothes.

The attorneys at CMBG3 Law LLC have represented clients in talc, products liability, and toxic tort matters for many years. We provide the most current advice by staying informed of legal, scientific and medical developments regarding a wide variety of substances and products, including talc-containing products, used by consumers every day. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact John Gardella (email him or 617-936-4353).

0 Comments

Subscribe!

To be notified when a new article is available, please subscribe below.

Lists*


Loading