Johnson & Johnson are well known for their baby products and none more so than their iconic baby powder. Millions of people used the products on their children and millions also continued to use the product into adulthood for hygienic purposes. Recently, Johnson & Johnson and other manufacturers of baby powder or talc powder have found themselves facing thousands of lawsuits. The litigants claim that the talc, which is mined near asbestos, causes cancer to develop in men and women who have used the product over their lifetime. One recent court case rendered a judgment of $4.7 billion for 22 women.
Law.com reports on a judge upholding that verdict in a win for those litigants against Johnson & Johnson.
The verdict, which was reached on July 13th, awarded the $4.7 billion to 22 women who claim to have developed cancer through the use of Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder.
22nd Circuit Court Judge Rex Burlison refused to grant Johnson & Johnson’s motions for judgment notwithstanding the verdict. He also refused to grant new trials and new trials on damages. Burlison also concluded that the evidence was “substantial” in support of the $550 million in compensatory damages. He also upheld that the punitive damages, totaling more than $4 billion, were also constitutional.
Johnson and Johnson issued a statement indicating that the company intended to continue to appeal the verdict.
In another legal blow to Johnson & Johnson regarding litigation over their Baby Powder product, Hinds County Chancery Court Judge Dewayne Thomas refused to allow Johnson & Johnson’s request for summary judgment in the only case brought by an attorney general. The case was brought against Johnson & Johnson in 2014 by Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood under the state’s Consumer Protection Act.
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