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Talcum Powder Lawsuit
In numerous studies, talcum powder use has been linked to cancer, but Johnson & Johnson's baby powder manufacturers have failed to warn women of this increased risk of ovarian cancer.
Tens of thousands of women are filing talcum powder lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson for failing to warn about the risks of using these talc-based products.
The makers of talcum powders knew that their products contained asbestos fibers, which can cause cancer when used near the genitals. At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, our personal injury attorneys negotiate settlements in litigation involving Johnson & Johnson and others selling talcum products.
Contact a dangerous product lawyer at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone number) or use the contact form today for immediate legal advice and schedule a free consultation. All confidential or sensitive information you share with our legal team remains private through an attorney-client relationship.
Talcum powder is a staple in many women's hygiene routines. Talc is used in baby powders, foot powder, and adult feminine products.
Talc is also used to reduce friction during sex and as an anti-diarrheal agent for infants. However, serious health concerns link Johnson & Johnson talcum powder to mesothelioma and ovarian cancer.
Talc Products Not Yet Banned
The FDA has not banned or restricted the use of talc in cosmetics. However, several studies indicate that this mineral may increase your risk of ovarian cancer if you regularly apply it near your genital and peritoneal area (such as when using a scented feminine product).
Some researchers believe that exposure to talc particles increases ovarian cancer risk by up to 40%.
Additionally, one study indicated that women who regularly used talc-based body powder were three times more likely to develop lung cancer than those who did not use any type of body powder.
Johnson & Johnson is the largest producer of talcum powder in the United States. The company has been named in thousands of talcum powder lawsuits alleging that it knew about the risks associated with talcum powder use but failed to warn women.
Talc Litigation for Favorable Compensation
Our talcum powder lawyers represent women and men who have developed cancer after using talcum powders. Our law firm is committed to securing the most favorable compensation for individuals and families harmed by talc powder products.
The cancer-related talcum powder lawsuits revolve around the chilling revelation that regular talcum powder use causes cancers, specifically ovarian and lung cancers.
Talcum powder manufacturers have failed to warn of these severe, life-threatening complications. As a result, women who use talcum powders for personal hygiene never knew they were doing something that could cost them their health or life.
Connection Between Talcum and Ovarian Cancer
Thousands of cases have been filed across the United States. These cases allege that Johnson & Johnson, America's leading baby powder manufacturer, has used contaminated talc particles in its baby powder and Shower to Shower body powder for adults for decades.
For years, Johnson & Johnson withheld scientific studies exposing the link between talcum powder use and ovarian and other cancers, even in trace amounts.
This choice not to inform the public has led to jurors awarding the injured with punitive damages and financial payments intended to punish bad corporate behavior. Some cases are pending, and others are actively being tried and settled, with developments continuing.
What You Can Do to Reduce Your Risks
If you are concerned about the potential ovarian cancer risk associated with talcum powders, there are a few things you can do to reduce your exposure:
- Avoid using Johnson & Johnson talc products that contain talcum particles near your genital area
- Do not use body or baby powders that contain talc if you are at high risk for ovarian cancer
- Choose feminine hygiene products labeled as "talc-free" when using the powder in the genital and peritoneal area to absorb moisture and prevent rashes.
- Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about using talc powder
Exposure to asbestos and other toxic chemicals in contaminated genital talc-containing products may also increase your cancer risk.
Johnson & Johnson's Baby Powder Lawsuit Lawyers
Were you diagnosed with mesothelioma or ovarian cancer and suspect talcum powder use might be to blame?
If so, our talcum powder attorneys can provide you with the latest information. Our legal team gathered answers to some frequently asked questions about talc, talcum powders, body and baby powder, cancers, and litigation below.
Would you like more information on Johnson & Johnson's talcum powder lawsuits? If so, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC can help you understand your legal rights and weigh your chances for success if you're considering talcum powder litigation.
Women at Risk for Developing Ovarian Cancer After Using Talc Products
Many of these talc-based products are marketed to women using marketing slogans that actively push perineal talc use to control sweating, moisture, and odor in adult women's bodies, saying, 'you sweat in more places than just your underarms.
Women using talcum powders and talc-based products for personal feminine hygiene are at a heightened epithelial ovarian cancer risk if used how it has been marketed.
Talc is a naturally occurring mineral that talc powder manufacturers use in baby products, adult cosmetic talc makeup, cleaning supplies, and more.
Johnson & Johnson's talcum powder use could lead to ovarian cancer if used in women's genital areas. Talcum powders can eliminate dampness and lessen friction, so women have used them directly on their skin, underwear, and genital areas to reduce moisture, chafing, and odors.
However, according to the American Cancer Society, research studies reveal that genital powder use near the vagina permits it to enter the body and travel to the ovaries.
Talcum particles may lead to malignancy if contaminated with asbestos, a known carcinogen. Talc frequently occurs in nature with asbestos in various amounts of toxic substances.
Talcum Powder Causes Ovarian Cancer
In the 1970s, studied research found a link between talcum powder particles and asbestos. In the 1971 medical paper "Talc and Carcinoma of the Ovary and Cervix,' researchers reported finding talc remnants deep within ovarian cancer tumors and non-cancerous ovarian tissue.
Problems with Talc Particles That Contained Asbestos Known For Decades
As early as 1994, ovarian cancer patients' rights organizations explicitly lodged complaints about the talc particle and malignancy connection in genital talc powder products. Mining companies have listed cancer warnings on talc safety data sheets since 2006.
Research shows that talc can also cause lung cancer - specifically, mesothelioma, a lung disease that affects the linings between the torso's organs. Scientists believe the company's talc powder caused the malignancy due to asbestos contamination.
Asbestos Contamination Found in Talcum and Baby Powder
If the talcum powder is inhaled - as it might be for a regular user of baby or body powders - those asbestos particles can be trapped in the lungs.
Despite repeated reassurances that talc in their talcum powders was asbestos-free, there's evidence that cosmetics company Johnson & Johnson - one of the largest producers of talc products - continued finding asbestos in its talcum powder brands but failed to disclose those findings to the public.
Johnson & Johnson Knew of the Risk of Ovarian Cancer from Talcum Powder Use
Internal documentation suggests it knew about the ovarian cancer link as early as 1997. Nonetheless, the company continued to sell talc products without warning consumers about increased cancer risks.
Not only did the company keep the product on the market despite the risk of developing ovarian malignancy, but it also tried to play an active role in the debate denying the link between ovarian tissue cancers and using talcum powder.
The Side Effects of Talc and Talcum Powders
The signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer can be subtle or confused with signs of other, less severe illnesses.
There may be few signs of its advancement, especially in the initial stages. However, signs become more apparent as the disease advances, especially after the disease spreads (metastasizes) through the body.
According to the National Cancer Institute, symptoms of malignancy in the ovaries include, but are not limited to:
- Frequent urination
- Appetite loss
- Pelvic pain
- Abdominal pain
- Swelling in the abdomen, pelvis, or adjacent areas of the body
- Fluctuations in bowel habits
- Constipation
- Rapid or significant weight loss
How Ovarian Cancer Is Diagnosed
Physicians who suspect cancers of the fallopian tubes or ovarian cancer will generally confirm their cancer diagnosis by reviewing biopsy material and removing some tissue for close examination.
Women diagnosed with ovarian cancer due to talcum powder exposure could be offered treatment options, including:
- Chemotherapy
- Surgery
- Radiation therapy
- Hormone therapy
Many women develop cancer years after using genital area (perineal) talc products, baby powder, and Shower to Shower products. The stage of the disease and other health factors after years of exposure to talc particles that contained asbestos dust could also affect the fallopian tubes.
How Talcum Powder Causes Cancer
Multiple medical studies show a connection between ovarian cancer and talcum powder exposure. Statistically, one in fifty women, or 2%, develop ovarian cancer.
However, studies show heightened risks of ovarian cancer after using talc-based baby powder up to 25% or even 30%.
Talcum powders, a fine powder, can be inhaled. The American Cancer Society says it's generally accepted that talc with asbestos can cause lung cancer - specifically, mesothelioma, a rare lung disease caused only by exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos-contaminated talcum powder can be inhaled. Those asbestos particles are so small that they can become trapped in the body and cause irritation, eventually creating ovarian cancer issues or mesothelioma.
How Ovarian Cancers Are Treated
Surgery is the most chosen treatment to remove the cancerous tissue or in some cases, the entire reproductive system. However, how much tissue is removed depends on how the disease has progressed and the patient's age.
Typically, a gynecologic oncologist, a doctor specializing in female reproductive system cancers, performs the surgery.
Ovarian cancer or mesothelioma patients may also be given chemotherapy, where doctors administer mild toxins to prevent cancerous lung tissue and ovarian cancer cells from growing.
What This Means for Children and Adults Using Baby Powder
For decades, parents counted on the benefits of baby powder to keep their infants and toddlers dry and free of diaper rash. The familiar white bottle was always quickly available in the diaper bag and close at hand on the changing table.
While adults, especially women, are at risk of ovarian cancer due to years of using baby powder, the airborne exposure to talc particles and dust reaching the baby's lungs concerns doctors.
Baby powder has long been thought to be safe. But now that the talc product manufacturer has discontinued selling the toxic products in the United States and Canada, as of 2020, parents are having second thoughts.
American Academy of Pediatrics
Over four decades ago, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported significant hazards to use talcum-based products due to aspiration. The report revealed that the talc particle aspiration incident rate was "grossly underestimated," citing a mortality rate of about 20%.
By 2018, the Academy's Council on Environmental Health confirmed their previous findings and stated that parents should stop using talcum-based products, including baby powder, to care for their children.
Talc Pneumoconiosis
The correlation between talc use and pneumoconiosis in babies is substantial. The council stated that exposure could "result from the accidental inhalation of bulk [baby] powder if a can should tip over into a baby’s face," adding that "[t]alc pneumoconiosis has been associated with several infant fatalities."
Case Studies Correlating Talc Powder with Cancer
Perhaps the most convincing evidence that genital area (perineal) talc use is related to ovarian cancer was revealed in two case-control studies from 2016, The African American Cancer Epidemiology Study (AACES) and The New England Ovarian Cancer Study.
The study compared nearly 600 African American women with ovarian cancer to over 700 women who weren't afflicted.
African American Cancer Epidemiology Study
This study found that women who had used talc in their genital area were 44% more likely to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer than the control group, increasing their risk from 1.3% to 2%.
A study footnote indicated that women with a respiratory condition like asthma were slightly more at risk. Its authors attribute the increased risk to the body's ability to react and develop inflammation - a condition known to spur malignancy cell growth.
New England Ovarian Cancer Study
The National Institutes of Health funded the study involving over 2,000 women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. This group was compared to over 1,500 women who had not been diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
Women who had used Johnson talc on their genitals or other body areas were about thirty-three percent more likely than non-users to develop ovarian cancers.
The study also found an additional risk factor: Women who were sterilized before menopause (through a hysterectomy or tubal ligation) or who took hormone replacement therapy for menopause symptoms were more likely to develop ovarian cancer than talc powder users alone.
- To date, almost two dozen studies suggest a relationship exists between Johnson's talcum powder and ovarian cancers.
- There have also been surveys of studies that collect the results from multiple medical studies to see a clear trend within those studies.
The Reasons for a Talcum Powder Lawsuit
People are suing over developing ovarian cancer and mesothelioma because, for decades, Johnson & Johnson talcum powder product makers denied any correlation between malignancy and their products. However, a wealth of research has shown a connection in recent years.
A Johnson & Johnson baby powder lawsuit generally alleges that the manufacturer and distributor knew about this link since 1982 but failed to warn customers about the risks. However, Dr. Daniel Cramer, a Harvard epidemiologist, discovered the link between Johnson and Johnson's talcum powder and increased ovarian cancer risk in a study he conducted in 1982.
When he released the results on talc particles and ovarian cancer risk, Johnson and Johnson contacted him to discuss his observations and evidence. As a result, he suggested taking baby powder talcum products off the market.
FDA Sampling Tests Finds Asbestos-Laced Talcum Powder
In February 2020, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) held a meeting for public awareness on the testing methods used to identify asbestos in cosmetic talc makeup and talcum powder. The following month, the federal administration issued updates on their results.
Some results show that out of fifty-one samples of cosmetics and other talcum powder products, including blush, nine samples tested positive for asbestos, and forty-three were found to be negative.
Additional talcum powder samplings by the FDA are expected to be conducted throughout the remainder of the year, with test results made public anticipated.
According to the American Cancer Society, some studies have shown a potential risk of women developing endometrioid ovarian cancer.
However, the organization says there is only minimal scientific evidence of a correlation between Ovarian Cancer and talcum powder.
Status of Talcum Powder Lawsuits Filed Against Johnson & Johnson
In talcum powder lawsuit news, the courts have ordered the talc supplier to pay victims over $100 million to resolve more than one thousand lawsuits. This order came after the last four talc trials resulted in a Los Angeles jury verdict of $26.5 million.
Johnson & Johnson talcum powder litigation is an active federal and state law area. Lawsuits alleging a link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer - and manufacturers withheld information about that link - have made headlines, thanks to jury verdicts in the millions and billions of dollars.
Most Lawsuits Involve Increased Risk of Ovarian Cancer or Mesothelioma
According to CNBC, Johnson & Johnson faced roughly 14,000 Shower to Shower and Baby Powder lawsuits as of July 2019, alleging that its baby powder products caused an increased risk of ovarian cancer or mesothelioma.
The network says 11,000 of those talcum powder cases have been consolidated into one case heard as 'multidistrict litigation' in New Jersey federal court. The court ordered talc supplier, Imerys Talc America, to pay $2.5 million in exemplary damages.
There are also individual talcum powder cases that have not been consolidated.
Supreme Court Opinion to Resolve Talc Litigation
In June 2022, a St. Louis, Missouri, jury heard the first significant talc and baby powder evidence at a historic trial. The juror's verdict split more than $4.7 billion in compensatory and punitive damages among 22 plaintiffs on findings that Johnson & Johnson manufactured and sold talc and baby powder products contaminated with asbestos.
The talc litigation resolution helped form how plaintiff attorneys build robust compensation cases for their injured clients. On appeal, Johnson and Johnson argued and won in front of the Missouri Supreme Court to invalidate the verdict on two plaintiffs among the 22 victims at trial.
The Supreme Court ruling cut the sizeable award nearly in half. Even with a significantly reduced verdict, Johnson and Johnson's lawyers filed a writ of certiorari petition, hoping to win their legal arguments.
Plaintiffs appealed to the United States Supreme Court, which ruled for the victims by rejecting the talc manufacturer's cert petition, allowing the multi-billion dollar verdict to stand.
How Johnson & Johnson Is Faring in Ovarian Cancer Lawsuits
- In July 2019, a supreme court upheld a California jury's award of $417 million to Deborah Giannecchini. The Los Angeles jury found sufficient evidence in her medical records that Johnson & Johnson's baby powder caused her malignancy and ordered hundreds of millions of dollars in punitive damages.
- According to an October 2019 report from the New York Times, Johnson & Johnson has lost at least fourteen talc trials, including one where jurors awarded plaintiffs $4.7 billion. One talcum powder case, Olson v. Brenntag, involved Donna Olson and her husband, who argued that Johnson & Johnson baby powder products caused Olson's mesothelioma after using talc powder. It is a disease caused by exposure to asbestos. A New York jury ultimately awarded the couple $325 million. Unfortunately, Olson was too sick to attend, having been forced to remove one of her lungs.
- In March 2019, Johnson & Johnson reached a series of settlements with mesothelioma victims in three states. The settlements likely avoided additional costs to the company from an Oklahoma, New York, or California talc verdict that leaves plaintiffs with huge awards. For example, in the Oklahoma talcum powder case, the company offered a settlement after the trial while the jury deliberated. A 36-year-old plaintiff argued that she'd gotten ovarian cancer after using the product since childhood. In New York, Johnson & Johnson settled the case a month before trial.
- A California jury recently ordered this company to pay $417 million in damages after finding that Johnson & Johnson failed to adequately warn consumers about the potential risks associated with its talc powder products. 'Talc is a mineral that has just been awful for women, and we are really trying to get the word out,' according to a lawyer for the women suing Johnson & Johnson.
The Statute of Limitations for a Talcum Powder Cancer Lawsuit
How long you have to file a talcum powder lawsuit depends on your circumstances and where you live. All states have deadlines to sue, which are the statutes of limitations in the law.
The statute prohibits bringing an action many years after your injury, recognizing that evidence and witnesses are harder to find after many years.
Most states have different deadlines for suing, and they may also set unique deadlines for various cases.
For example, the rule for talc-related injuries in Chicago, Illinois, that might lead to a talcum powder lawsuit allows you two years to file your claim for the mesothelioma, ovarian, or lung cancer diagnosis.
You Have to Sue Right After Using Talc Containing Products If You Developed Ovarian Cancer or Mesothelioma
We make a crucial point about the statute of limitations after using talcum powder. The time clock begins to run after you have gotten sick. It is critical because all plaintiffs have used Johnson & Johnson talc baby powder over the years.
Like any asbestos exposure, the toxins lie dormant in the person's body for years until they are sickened. In a sense, they are like a ticking time bomb that can sicken the patient years later.
You do not have to sue right after you use talc powder. You cannot sue until you have developed deadly ovarian cancer.
Talcum Powder Attorneys Cost Nothing Upfront
Hiring a talcum powder attorney to represent you or your family in a talc powder lawsuit is no upfront fee. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC handles all Johnson & Johnson baby powder lawsuits on a contingency fee agreement.
This arrangement ensures that we only receive a fee for our services when we successfully recover on your behalf. If we do not win, you owe us nothing. Contact us for a free consultation.
Talcum Powder FAQs
Here are some answers to questions that we are commonly asked about Johnson & Johnson baby powder and Shower to Shower hygiene products and their link to cause ovarian cancer and the subsequent ovarian cancer lawsuits:
Our Law Firm Is Accepting Talcum Powder Claims on Behalf of Individuals and Families
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC is currently handling talcum powder lawsuits on behalf of women and their families from across the United States.
If you or a loved one has developed ovarian cancer while using Johnson & Johnson's talc-based Baby Powder and Shower to Shower, contact us for a free case evaluation to learn more about your legal options.
During your free case review, our personal injury law firm can help you determine whether it would be in your best interest to join the class action lawsuit initiated against that company's talcum powder distributor or talc supplier or file an individual claim.
Our Chicago-based medical product liability attorneys have decades of experience handling these cases and have helped thousands of clients seek compensation. Our services are free if we cannot do the same for you.
Call us today for your risk-free case evaluation, so a talcum powder lawyer can begin to discuss your case. A claim or lawsuit submission must be filed in the appropriate county courthouse before the statute of limitations expires.