Johnson & Johnson And Kenvue To Pay $45 Million In Baby Powder Suit

Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue are facing yet another legal challenge regarding their talcum-based baby powder. The $45 million verdict in Illinois came in a case filed by a family that alleged the companies’ talcum-based baby powder led to the death of a relative diagnosed with a fatal cancer linked to asbestos exposure. Kenvu was the consumer healthcare division of J&J, which became an independent company last year.

According to a news release from the legal firm Dean Omar Branham Shirley, which represented the Garcia family, Theresa Garcia passed away in July 2020 after being diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer often associated with asbestos exposure. Garcia’s family filed a lawsuit, claiming that Garcia’s frequent use of the companies’ talcum-based baby powder contributed to her diagnosis.

The company intends to appeal Friday’s decision immediately and anticipates success, according to J&J’s Worldwide Vice President of Litigation, Erik Haas. He continued, saying, “The verdict in this trial is irreconcilable with the decades of independent scientific evaluations confirming talc is safe, does not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer.”