St. Louis Talcum Powder Cancer Lawsuit Verdict Favors Plaintiff

A favorable talcum powder lawsuit verdict and more than $70 million in damages were awarded to the plaintiff in the first talcum powder trial heard before the City of St. Louis Circuit Court, which was widely considered a bellwether for more than 1,000 lawsuits with similar claims.

Monday, February 22, 2016 - The first talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuit verdict before the City of St. Louis Circuit Court has been handed down by the jury, which found heavily in favor of the plaintiff. The family of Jacqueline Fox, which filed suit against Johnson & Johnson (J&J) for allegedly withholding information concerning a link between their talcum powder products and an increased risk of ovarian cancer, was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages in addition to a $62 million award levied against J&J intended to punish the company for their behavior related to the claims.

The jury found that J&J had intentionally decided against releasing information about the medically researched links between talcum powder and ovarian cancer, declining to affix warning labels to the products that would inform consumers of potential dangers. More than 1,000 plaintiffs around the country have filed similar claims seeking a favorable talcum powder cancer lawsuit verdict, and it was widely understood that this trial would act as a significant bellwether for the fate of those cases.

The impact this trial will have on future lawsuits is also significant because the plaintiff in the lawsuit, Ms. Fox, passed away from ovarian cancer in October before the trial began. The evidence attorneys representing Ms. Fox presented before the court constituted an argument to which a favorable verdict was given, even in the absence of her direct testimony. This sets a precedent for the families of plaintiffs, even if their loved one passed away from ovarian cancer, to still receive damages from J&J.

The more than 1,000 lawsuits against J&J related to talcum powder and its link to ovarian cancer, already expected to grow in the coming months, will likely get a sizable bump from the plaintiff receiving a favorable outcome of the first City of St. Louis Circuit Court verdict. This stands as the first talcum powder lawsuit verdict found against J&J that awarded damages to the plaintiff. There was a 2013 federal trial in North Dakota after which the jury found J&J guilty of the claims filed against the health care company, but no damages were awarded.

Information provided by TalcumPowderCancerLawsuit.com, a website devoted to providing news about talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuits, as well as medical research and findings.