According to a Reuters investigation, pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson has known for decades that its baby powders could contain small amounts of asbestos. The investigation found that instead of informing consumers and regulators about the contamination, the company hid the problem.
Currently, J&J is facing nearly 12,000 plaintiffs in lawsuits that allege that Baby Powder and other powder products caused cancer, including thousands of cases of ovarian cancer. J&J was compelled to release internal documents and confidential memos as part of the litigation. This documentation, coupled with trial testimony, shows that small amounts of asbestos were found not only in the raw talc used to make Baby Powder but also in the finished product. J&J knew that asbestos was found in some samples dating back as far as 1971 and that samples continued to show contamination to the early 2000s, the report suggests.
While the company, its doctors, mine managers, scientists, and attorneys were all concerned about the asbestos contamination issue and how to address it, the company failed to inform the public of the problem, Reuters reported.
Johnson & Johnson is under fire over a mounting number of lawsuits and information contained in the Reuters investigation report. Within days of the investigation being published, the company’s stock took a nosedive to the tune of $40 billion.
The company is maintaining that its powders are safe and that there is no science backing up what thousands of lawsuits claim – that the powders are dangerous and cause cancer. In July 2018, 22 women who blamed their ovarian cancer on regular use of powders were awarded $4.6 billion in damages. The pharma giant is appealing the award as well as other judgments.
Johnson & Johnson hit back at the Reuters report calling it inflammatory, false, and one-sided, and hired a public relations firm to promote the report as old news. The company said that any suggestion that the mega-corporation knew about or hid information concerning talc safety is false. It even took out a full-page ad in the New York Times stating that the safety of its talc was backed by scientific data.
Johnson & Johnson was already battling thousands of lawsuits alleging their powder products could cause ovarian cancer. Then, a New Jersey jury awarded $117 million to a man who alleged his mesothelioma was caused by baby powder, a product he used since birth. Now, patients from across the country are questioning if J&J powder products could have caused their cancer.
If you or a loved one develop cancer after using Baby Powder or Shower-to-Shower powder, you may be entitled to significant compensation. Women and men across the country are standing up and fighting for their rights. They are demanding J&J be held accountable for the talc powders the company has spent decades promoting and marketing as safe.
We are helping these plaintiffs get maximum compensation for their injuries, and we can help you too. If you developed cancer after using J&J talc powders, contact us now. You have rights, and we defend those rights and make sure you get the highest compensation available by law for damages.
