Three years ago, a New Jersey couple sued Johnson & Johnson for $117 million dollars because they believe the company’s talcum powder caused the husband to develop mesothelioma due to the presence of asbestos. The court awarded them $80 million in punitive damages, and $37 million in compensatory damages from J&J and Imerys Talc America. However, according to a recent My Central Jersey article, the case has been overturned, and new trials were ordered.
A statement from the company noted, “The Appellate Division’s careful opinion is consistent with decades of independent scientific testing confirming our talc is safe, does not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer. The court struck at the core strategy of the plaintiffs’ bar, concluding that paid experts are not allowed to present junk science that purports to find asbestos where there is none. These unproven theories have been the centerpiece of the talc litigation, and today’s opinion marks an important rejection of that approach."
