A bottle of Johnson and Johnson child powder. Inventory Pictures | Photograph credit score: REUTERS
Johnson & Johnson should pay $15 million to a Connecticut man who claims he developed mesothelioma, a uncommon type of most cancers, on account of utilizing the corporate’s talcum powder for many years, a jury concluded Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. .
Plaintiff Evan Plotkin sued the corporate in 2021 shortly after his analysis, saying he bought sick from inhaling J&J child powder.
The Fairfield County, Connecticut, Superior Court docket jury additionally decided that the corporate ought to pay extra punitive damages, which will probably be decided later by the choose overseeing the case.
“Evan Plotkin and his trial staff are delighted {that a} jury has determined to as soon as once more maintain Johnson & Johnson chargeable for its advertising and sale of a child powder product that it knew contained asbestos,” mentioned Ben Braly, Plotkin’s lawyer. , in an electronic mail. .
Erik Haas, J&J’s world vice chairman of litigation, mentioned in an announcement that the corporate would attraction “faulty” rulings by the trial choose that prevented the jury from listening to vital details in regards to the case.
“These details present that the decision is irreconcilable with many years of impartial scientific evaluations confirming that talc is protected, doesn’t comprise asbestos and doesn’t trigger most cancers,” Haas mentioned.
Tuesday’s verdict comes as J&J seeks to resolve claims from greater than 62,000 individuals who say they contracted ovarian and different gynecological cancers from talc via a virtually $9 billion chapter settlement.
The chapter settlement, which faces authorized challenges from some plaintiffs’ attorneys, has suspended lawsuits over gynecologic cancers however doesn’t have an effect on the a lot smaller variety of mesothelioma claims like Plotkin’s. The corporate has already resolved a few of these claims, however has not proposed a nationwide settlement.
The plaintiffs in all of the lawsuits say that J&J’s talcum powder merchandise, like its once-iconic child powder, had been contaminated with asbestos, a carcinogen recognized to trigger mesothelioma and different cancers.
J&J eliminated its talc-based powder merchandise from the US market in 2020.
Reuters watched the announcement of the decision through the Courtroom View Community.
Printed – October 17, 2024 05:22 pm IST