A jury in St. Louis, Missouri handed down a $55 million verdict on May 3, 2016 to a woman who accused Johnson & Johnson (“J&J”) that its baby powder gave her ovarian cancer. This is the company’s second huge loss in a row this year over its baby powder product. J&J was dealt a massive $72 million loss in the first talc trial in February.
Plaintiff Gloria Ristesund claimed to have used J&J’s talc-based baby powder as a female hygiene for 40 years. She was diagnosed with ovarian in 2011 and forced to undergo a hysterectomy. The jury awarded her with $5 million in compensatory damages and $50 million in punitive damages after finding J&J guilty of hiding the risks.
Plaintiff’s attorney Allen Smith told the jury during trial, the “science has been simple and consistent over the last 40 years: There’s an increased risk of ovarian cancer from genital use of talc.”
At the end of the three-week trial, the jury deliberated for a day before rendering their verdict. According to jury forewoman Teri Brickley, “we felt like they knew for decades that they should have put a warning on this product.”
Harford, P.C., is currently accepting cases of J&J baby powder induced ovarian cancer. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer after using baby powder, please call us immediately at (212) 390-8983 for a free consultation.
