Talcum Powder Mass Tort Marketing Campaigns For Lawyers

Johnson & Johnson said it has agreed to pay $5.5 billion to resolve tens of thousands of remaining lawsuits that alleged the company’s baby powder and other talc products caused ovarian cancer.

 
The agreement, aimed at ending over a decade of litigation, covers about 76,000 claims, including those consolidated in federal court in New Jersey, and related cases in state court, representing nearly all of the remaining talc claims against the company.

 
Johnson & Johnson said the settlement is “conditioned on, among other things, the express participation of at least 95% of the remaining claims.”

 
The company denies that its talc-based products caused cancer but stopped selling its talc-based baby powder in the United States and Canada in 2020.

 
J & J’s vice president of litigation, Erik Haas said the claims “lack scientific merit” but that the company hopes to get closure on the litigation.

 
“While we are confident the Company would have ultimately prevailed with further litigation, as it has in the vast majority of cases tried to date, this resolution allows the Company to put this matter behind it and remain focused on its mission to develop medicines and devices that save lives,” he said in the company statement.

 
J&J expects to pay $3 billion in 2027, and it will make further payments in 2028. Chris Seeger, an attorney who represents about 2,500 clients with talc claims and helped negotiate the agreement, said J&J could ultimately pay $7 ​billion or more.

 
Seeger stated that the settlement “ensures … (that the) plaintiffs receive fair and meaningful compensation for their injures. More than a decade of protracted litigation and three failed bankruptcies has left tens of thousands of women and their families waiting far too long for relief.”

 
Johnson & Johnson said that it previously settled about 95% of filed lawsuits for mesothelioma, all state consumer protection claims, and all talc-supplier disputes.

A federal judge in New Jersey granted a request by Johnson & Johnson that would require the approximately 67,000 plaintiffs in the federal talc MDL to show cause why their lawsuits should not be dismissed.

 
U.S. Magistrate Judge Rukhsanah Singh said recent testimony by two of the plaintiffs’ experts raised doubts about whether plaintiffs can provide evidence admissible in court “that talcum ​powder use specifically caused her ovarian cancer.”

 
Singh said the plaintiffs must provide more specific evidence and reliable expert testimony that baby powder and other talc products caused ovarian cancer or risk having their lawsuits dismissed.

 
Johnson & Johnson filed its motion to show cause after lead plaintiffs’ counsel withdrew two specific causation experts, Dr. Daniel Clarke-Pearson and Dr. Judith Wolf, both gynecological oncologists. The two testified ​in May in preparation for six bellwether trials for the ⁠cases that have been consolidated in New Jersey’s federal court.

 
In his order, Judge Singh raised “deep skepticism” about the plaintiffs’ causation experts, adding that “all parties deserve an opportunity to assess what claims may be meritorious and what claims may not.”

 
Johnson & Johnson has denied that its talc products cause cancer, contending that its talc was safe and did not contain asbestos.

The plaintiffs in the federal talc MDL have now selected the case they want to serve as the first federal bellwether trial. The case, Judkins v. Johnson & Johnson, involves allegations that decades of talcum powder use caused ovarian cancer.

 
In another trial, a jury in Los Angeles awarded $32 million to the family of a California woman who died from pleural mesothelioma after years of exposure to an asbestos-contaminated talc product, finding Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries liable for her illness.

 
Maria Lozano used Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder daily for more than 50 years before being diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma in 2023. She passed away in 2024, and the lawsuit was continued by her children.

 
The jury found J & J 100% at fault for her illness and rejected the company’s arguments that environmental conditions or exposure to other cosmetic and automotive products caused her disease.

 
However, Johnson & Johnson won a victory earlier in the month when another Los Angeles jury found the company was not liable for the ovarian cancer deaths of three women who had used talcum powder products for decades.

 
Plaintiffs in the six-week bellwether trial argued that internal company documents showed Johnson & Johnson knew its talc products posed health risks.

 
However, jurors ultimately concluded that the evidence did not establish that the company’s conduct was negligent or that its talc products caused the women’s cancers.

A jury in Minnesota awarded over $10 million to a couple who claimed that various asbestos-contaminated talc products caused a man to develop mesothelioma.

 
The jury decided in favor of Daniel and Nicole Heyer, who filed suit in October against 58 companies that have manufactured, sold or designed the products. The five companies held responsible were Vi-Jon LLC, Gold Bond, Merck (Dr. School’s), Johnson & Johnson and Perrigo Co.

 
Daniel Heyer’s illness was linked to decades of exposure to talc powder products that were in a “defective and unreasonably dangerous condition,” according to Heyer’s attorneys.

 
The jury determined the five companies were responsible for manufacturing dangerous products and failing to provide adequate warning to consumers, and that the products were a direct cause of Heyer’s cancer.

 
“This family is going through pain almost no one can understand and that did not need to happen. The jury in this case recognized that and acted accordingly,” said Heyer’s attorney, Shaina Weissman, in a statement.

 
In Los Angeles, the second talc bellwether trial got underway, with plaintiffs presenting expert testimony on the link between long-term use of talcum powder and ovarian cancer.

 
Families of three women who died from ovarian cancer told the jury that Johnson & Johnson knowingly concealed asbestos risks associated with its talc-based baby powder products for decades.

 
Plaintiffs’ counsel argued that internal company documents from the 1960s through the 1980s show J&J was aware of asbestos in its talc and the health hazards posed by talc itself yet continued to promote the product as safe and encouraged women to use it on themselves and their children.

The number of talcum powder lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson stood at 67,376 at the start of April, making it the nation’s largest MDL by far. With state court cases included, the number of claims rises to over 90,000.

 
A mediation session was scheduled for late April by Magistrate Judge Rukhsanah L. Singh for parties in the talcum powder litigation. This was done by Judge Singh as a result of the progress that was made in the first mediation session in September 2025.

 
The judge asked the mediator, the Plaintiffs’ Lead Negotiation Counsel (PLNC), the defendants’ lead negotiation counsel, and a representative of defendants with authority to bind Defendants to attend the session.

Retired U.S. District Judge Freda Wolfson, the court-appointed special master in the Johnson and Johnson talcum powder litigation, recommended that juries be allowed to hear key expert testimony linking talc use to ovarian cancer.

 
Judge Wolfson, who was appointed to review the scientific evidence regarding the alleged link between J&J’s talc-based powder and cancer, concluded that epidemiological studies demonstrate a statistically significant association between genital talc use and ovarian cancer and that plaintiffs’ experts relied on reliable methodologies.

 
The number of lawsuits in the talcum powder MDL stood at 67,115 at the start of March, a decline of 507 cases from the previous month. The decrease was said to reflect bulk dismissals due to ongoing settlement administration and bankruptcy-related claim restructuring.

A state court jury in Pennsylvania awarded $250,000 to the family of a woman who sued Johnson & Johnson, alleging its talc-based baby powder caused her ovarian cancer.

 
The suit was filed by the son and daughter of Gayle Emerson, a Pennsylvania resident who died of metastatic ovarian cancer at age 68 after using J & J’s baby powder over a span of over 45 years. She stopped after learning from a relative about the product’s cancer risk. She had been diagnosed with cancer two years earlier.

 
The plaintiffs contended that Johnson & Johnson knew for years of the dangers of its talc-based products but failed to warn consumers.

 
The jury in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas awarded $50,000 in compensatory damages to Emerson’s family and $200,000 in punitive damages against the company on claims of product liability, failure to warn about the products’ dangers, and negligence.

 
Johnson & Johnson said it plans to appeal the verdict. A member of the law firm that represented the plaintiffs said the jury’s award is less than they had hoped, “and significantly less than the amount necessary to punish J&J for their outrageous conduct..”

 
The trial was the first of several scheduled to be tried in 2026 on similar claims. The first bellwether trial is expected to begin later this year in federal multidistrict litigation in New Jersey that includes over 70,000 lawsuits.

Another major verdict was returned against Johnson & Johnson over claims that its talcum powder products were contaminated with asbestos and caused cases of cancer. A Baltimore jury ordered J & J and two of their subsidiaries to pay $1.5 billion to a Maryland woman who alleged that decades of asbestos exposure from talc-based baby powder caused her to develop peritoneal mesothelioma.

 
The verdict is reportedly the largest single-plaintiff talc award ever issued against the company. It came just days after a $65.5 million jury award against J & J for a Minnesota woman with pleural mesothelioma, which was preceded by a jury in Florida handing down a verdict awarding $20 million in compensatory damages to the family of a man who passed away from mesothelioma after using Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower Products for years.

 
The talc multidistrict litigation against Johnson & Johnson is now the largest active MDL in the U.S. The number of pending cases increased to 67,580 in 2026, an increase of 9,375 cases over a year ago. The cases have been consolidated in the District of New Jersey, where they are being overseen by U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp for coordinated discovery and pretrial proceedings.

A Minnesota jury awarded $65.5 million to plaintiff Anna Jean Houghton Carley, who claimed that Johnson & Johnson’s talcum products exposed her to asbestos and contributed to her developing mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer in the lining of her lungs.

 
Following a 13-day trial the jurors determined that J & J should compensate Carley, whose attorneys contended that the company sold and marketed talc-based products to consumers despite knowing it can be contaminated with asbestos. They also said Carley’s family was never warned about potential dangers while using the product on their child.

 
Johnson & Johnson said it would appeal the verdict, arguing that the baby powder is safe, does not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer.

 
In another verdict, a jury in Los Angeles awarded $40 million to two women who claimed that talcum powder made by Johnson & Johnson caused their ovarian cancer.

 
The plaintiffs, Monica Kent and Deborah Schultz, alleged they developed the cancer after decades of using J&J’s baby powder and Shower to Shower products. The jury found that the company knew for years its talc-based products were dangerous but failed to warn consumers and withheld the information from the public.

 
Attorneys for the plaintiffs said the two would never have used the baby powder knowing it contained asbestos. Johnson & Johnson contended the lawsuits are based on flawed scientific conclusions and said it would appeal the verdict.

 
The former head of the FDA, David Kessler. told the jury that internal documents showed Johnson & Johnson found asbestos in their talc in the 1970s but hid this information from the public for decades. It was the first of three bellwether trials scheduled in California state court over claims of talcum powder causing cancer.

After a six-week trial, a jury in Broward County, Florida handed down a verdict that awarded $20 million in compensatory damages to the family of Dr. Alberto A. Casaretto. The jurors determined that Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based baby powder caused the death of Casaretto, who passed away from mesothelioma. He had used Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower Products for years.

 
The jury found J&J liable on design and manufacturing defect claims related to the doctor’s death in 2019. The lawsuit alleged that the company’s talc was contaminated with asbestos and that Johnson & Johnson failed to warn consumers.

 
At the start of November, there were 67,204 active lawsuits in the federal MDL against Johnson & Johnson involving plaintiffs who claim that carcinogens in J&J’s baby powders caused ovarian cancer and mesothelioma.

 
In another development, U.S. Magistrate Judge Rukhsanah Singh ruled that talcum powder lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson involving gynecologic cancers other than ovarian cancer will be dismissed unless supported by strong medical and expert evidence. The plaintiffs’ attorneys agreed with J&J that non-ovarian claims are lacking in scientific support.

A jury in Los Angeles found Johnson & Johnson liable in the case of Mae Moore, who died in 2021 at the age of 88.

 
The woman’s family sued J&J, alleging that its talc baby powder products contained asbestos fibers that caused her to develop mesothelioma.

 
The jury ordered J&J to pay $966 million, including $16 million in compensatory damages and $950 million in punitive damages. The company’s lawyer said they plan to immediately appeal the verdict, calling it egregious and unconstitutional.

 
Another trial is due to begin November 3 in Los Angeles, involving two women who allege that long-term use of Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder caused their ovarian cancer.

A leadership team is now in place to facilitate settlement negotiations in the Johnson & Johnson talcum powder MDL. The court has appointed a Lead Negotiation Counsel and a two-member Plaintiffs’ Negotiation Committee to direct and coordinate all aspects of mediation while keeping the court updated on the discussions.

If the talks do not lead to a global settlement, the next step in the process will be bellwether trials, the first of which is reportedly an ovarian cancer case that is scheduled for November. There are now 66,910 lawsuits pending in the MDL, an increase of about 400 from August.

The judge presiding over the litigation has allowed the plaintiffs to add Kenvue Inc., Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., and Johnson & Johnson Holdco Inc. as additional defendants, which may lead to more sources of recovery should the MDL be successful.

Retired federal judge Freda Wolfson, who managed the talcum powder MDL for seven years until 2023, was appointed as a special master in the case to review the scientific evidence regarding the alleged link between Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based powder and cancer.

There was a significant increase in the number of pending lawsuits in the national talcum powder MDL against Johnson & Johnson, rising from 63,693 at the start of July to 66,509 by August 1.

A jury in Boston issued a verdict against J & J in a case filed by a plaintiff who alleged that decades of use of the company’s talc-based products caused him to develop mesothelioma. The jury awarded $42 million in compensatory damages to the plaintiff, who claimed the company concealed the product’s asbestos contamination from regulators and the public for decades.

The first bellwether trial in the talcum powder MDL has been selected, Judkins v. Johnson & Johnson. The plaintiff is a New Hampshire woman who used Johnson’s Baby Powder over a span of over three decades beginning at age 15 and alleges that this use of the product caused her to develop ovarian cancer.

The trial is seen as the first test in federal court of the claim that Johnson & Johnson knowingly marketed talc-based products for routine genital use by women while concealing the risk of ovarian cancer and potential asbestos contamination. Evidence will be presented that the company failed to act on internal knowledge about the health risks of talc.

As of the start of July, 63,693 lawsuits have been filed against companies that made or sold talc products, alleging that they knew their products could contain asbestos but failed to warn the public. It is currently the largest MDL proceeding in the U.S.

There is a new option for women harmed by Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder to join group lawsuits. Administrative Judge Daniel Anders of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas created a new multidistrict litigation in the case. The initial consolidation included 25 plaintiffs.

New claims continue to be filed in the existing talcum powder MDL after J & J’s attempt to settle the case through bankruptcy was rejected by the courts. As of the start of June, there 60,792 active lawsuits pending in the MDL in New Jersey, an increase of 1,221 cases from the previous month.

A jury in Massachusetts rendered its verdict in one case involving the health consequences of J & J’s talcum powder. The Suffolk County jury awarded $8 million to a woman diagnosed with mesothelioma after decades of using the product. The jury found J&J liable for negligence and breach of warranty, concluding that the company’s talc products, contaminated with asbestos, caused the woman’s terminal cancer.

Following the denial of Johnson & Johnson’s bankruptcy proposal last month, the talcum powder MDL continues to move forward and remains the nation’s largest active MDL. The total number of claims stands at 58,643, an increase of 643 pending cases from last month.

In April, the two sides submitted a joint update to Judge Shipp on the status of pretrial motions and trial readiness. The sides agreed that resolving the motions is a critical step before the court can schedule the first bellwether trial in the case.

Among the new lawsuits filed against Johnson & Johnson is one filed by an Alabama woman who alleges she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2022 due to decades of talcum powder use. She seeks compensation for the emotional, monetary, and physical toll her diagnosis has taken on her.

A U.S. bankruptcy judge has denied Johnson & Johnson’s $9 billion proposal to end tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging that its baby powder and other talc products cause ovarian cancer.

It marks the third time J & J’s bankruptcy strategy has been rejected in court.

Red River Talc LLC, a J&J subsidiary, was seeking confirmation of a proposed Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan that would have settled the cancer litigation claims.

But Judge Christopher Lopez said that J&J used a faulty voter solicitation process when dealing with personal injury claimants and ruled that the proposed settlement did not meet the legal standards required to protect the company from ongoing liability.

J&J said it will not appeal the ruling, which will allow the pending lawsuits to move forward.

The total of pending cases in the talcum powder MDL remains at 58,206 at the start of March, since February did not see any new cases.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez will soon decide whether Red River Talc, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, can proceed with bankruptcy and an $8 million settlement to resolve ovarian cancer claims tied to talc products. J&J’s legal team argues the bankruptcy aims to streamline compensation for asbestos-related claims. Opponents counter that the filing lacks merit since J&J remains financially stable. If approved, the plan could expedite payments to plaintiffs instead of drawing out the civil litigation. However, critics argue the proposed compensation falls short of fairly addressing the harm.

The talcum powder MDL saw only one new case added last month, bringing the total to 58,206. This drop in new cases comes ahead of a pivotal hearing on Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Red River Talc’s bankruptcy.

On February 19, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez began overseeing a two-week trial in Texas, where up to 40 witnesses will testify. The Chapter 11 filing faces scrutiny, with challenges expected over the legitimacy of the $10 billion settlement plan. There are also concerns about potential voting irregularities. The outcome could significantly impact the litigation moving forward.

At the start of January, the MDL reported 58,205 pending cases, with four new filings in December. In a notable Pittsburgh trial, a jury cleared Johnson & Johnson of causation in a talc-mesothelioma case but still awarded $22 million in punitive damages. This outcome highlights mounting scrutiny of the company’s practices and signals that jurors believed its conduct warrants accountability, even in the absence of a direct link to the plaintiff’s illness.

As of now, the MDL includes 58,201 pending cases, with three new lawsuits added since November. A bankruptcy judge has extended the stay on Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder lawsuits until mid-March, allowing the company to advance its bankruptcy resolution strategy. While the judge denied requests to expand the litigation freeze or lift it for individual cases, J&J has proposed an $8 billion settlement via a separate corporate entity managing these claims. A trial in late January will determine whether the court approves J&J’s bankruptcy plan, shaping the future of these mass tort cases.

November 14, 2024

Acting via its bankruptcy monitor, the U.S. Trustee, the Department of Justice has formally opposed Jones Day, Johnson & Johnson’s choice of legal counsel for Red River Talc LLC, the subsidiary at the center of the company’s bankruptcy proceedings. Jones Day is believed to be a conflict of interest, since they were instrumental in the development of the contentious “Texas Two-Step” maneuver. The tactic allows companies to put liabilities on another entity, protecting the former and its assets from bankruptcy and mass tort claims.

November 1, 2024

Since October, nearly 150 new plaintiffs have been brought lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson, bringing the total number in the Talcum MDL (multi-district litigation) to 58,198

A lawsuit involving a Massachusetts real estate developer has ordered Johnson & Johnson, as well as multiple subsidiaries, to pay $15 million in damages to the plaintiff, who maintained that exposure to asbestos resulted in their mesothelioma diagnosis. During the trial, which was carried out in Connecticut, the plaintiff’s lawyers had requested $30 million in damages, while J&J, whose defense suggested that the plaintiff’s illness was due to a genetic mutation and not exposure to asbestos, had offered $4 million. 

J&J’s new subsidiary, Red River Talc LLC, filed for Chapter 11 in Texas, proposing an $8 billion settlement fund. This move prompted the U.S. Trustee to accuse J&J of “forum shopping” and seek to transfer the case back to New Jersey. Texas bankruptcy judge temporarily halted some talc lawsuits to address jurisdictional questions.

An Oregon state judge overturned a $260 million verdict against J&J, granting a new trial. In the MDL, Judge Shipp rejected consolidation for the first bellwether trial, now set for December with a single plaintiff. A new mesothelioma trial began in Connecticut, highlighting ongoing individual cases.

The MDL grew by 155 cases, totaling 57,937 lawsuits. These developments underscore the complex legal landscape as J&J seeks to resolve its talc liabilities.

J&J currently seeks the dismissal of a national class action for medical monitoring. At the same time, it has to deal with a $63 million verdict for asbestos-induced mesothelioma in South Carolina. This significant jury award puts into doubt J&J’s trial plan. On the other hand, preliminary signs point to talcum powder claimants endorsing the most recent settlement plan, suggesting a new phase in the litigation process.

The World Health Organization’s recent assessment links Johnson’s Baby Powder to an increased risk of cancer, particularly ovarian cancer. J&J proposed a $6.5 billion settlement to resolve the lawsuits, pending a supermajority agreement from claimants by the end of July. Additionally, J&J’s attempt to discredit plaintiffs’ experts failed, with the court ruling in favor of the expert’s First Amendment protections.

The talcum powder litigation continues to evolve with J&J’s $700 million settlement with 43 states over marketing claims. A significant trial is underway in Dallas, Texas, marking the first in the state. The number of pending cases in the MDL increased to 57,365, reflecting a rise in new case volume.

New research in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found a strong link between talc use and ovarian cancer, bolstering the plaintiffs’ claims. J&J agreed to a $6.5 billion settlement deal, conditional on plaintiffs’ approval by July 26. This deal covers ovarian cancer claims, while mesothelioma claims are settled separately. The MDL saw a minor increase in new cases, now totaling 53,939.

J&J and Kenvue Inc. were ordered to pay $45 million in a mesothelioma case, while a Florida jury ruled in J&J’s favor in an ovarian cancer case. Plaintiffs’ attorneys are contesting the MDL judge’s mandate for a full refiling of Daubert motions. The number of pending cases in the MDL increased by 143, bringing the total to 53,939.

A Florida state judge declared a mistrial in a talc powder case after jurors failed to reach a verdict. Plaintiffs’ lawyers are fighting J&J’s attempts to quash subpoenas for documents related to its talc liabilities. The MDL has seen a slowdown in new case filings, with only about 60 new cases added since the start of the year.

J&J faced ongoing litigation in multiple states, with new trials beginning in Pennsylvania, Arkansas, and Florida. A state judge allowed old advertisements for J&J baby powder as evidence for punitive damages. The MDL added 34 new cases in January, bringing the total to 53,767. J&J’s efforts to challenge plaintiffs’ experts and attorneys continue, with new subpoenas issued.

J&J offered $6.9 billion to settle over 50,000 ovarian cancer claims. The MDL saw a surge in new cases after the bankruptcy stay was lifted, totaling 53,733 pending cases. J&J agreed to a $700 million settlement with over 40 states for deceptive marketing tactics related to talc products. A new class action lawsuit from J&J investors was certified, alleging misleading statements about product safety.