Johnson & Johnson was ordered by a jury in the state of Missouri to pay damages of $72 million for the death of a woman who used Shower to Shower and Baby Powder for several years that was linked to her cancer of the ovaries.
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Spokeswoman Carol Goodrich said the verdict “goes against decades of sound science proving the safety of talc as a cosmetic ingredient in multiple products”, citing supportive research by the US Food and Drug Administration and National Cancer Institute. Hence, she died October 2015 at the age of 62.
Jacqueline Fox from Alabama claimed she used Baby Powder and Shower to Shower for feminine hygiene for more than 35 years before being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
Jurors found Johnson & Johnson liable for fraud, negligence and conspiracy, the family’s lawyers said.
The claim, which stated that Johnson & Johnson failed to inform consumers about the health risks involved with using talcum, included roughly 60 people.
In a verdict announced late Monday night, jurors in the circuit court of St Louis awarded the family of Jacqueline Fox $10 million of actual damages and $62 million of punitive damages, according to the family’s lawyers and court records.
The jury deliberated for just four hours following a trial of three weeks.
Her family’s lawyers felt that Johnson & Johnson knew of the cancer risk, yet continued to sell the products to consumers in the interest of making money. Johnson & Johnson is facing 1,200 other cases from women concerning talcum powder, CBS News notes.
Goodrich noted the company sympathizes with the family of the plaintiff, but strongly disagrees with the outcome of the court case.
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A South Dakota jury in October of 2013 found that a plaintiff’s use of J&J body powder products had been a factor in developing ovarian cancer. Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc possesses the Shower but wasn’t a defendant in the Fox case.
