A jury in Los Angeles has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $966 million in damages after finding that the company’s talcum powder caused cancer. The case was brought by the family of Mae Moore, a California resident who died of cancer in 2021.
The family alleged that Moore developed a rare form of cancer after using Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder and other talcum products. According to court documents, the company’s talcum powder contained asbestos fibers, which contributed to Moore’s illness.
The jury awarded $16 million in compensatory damages and $950 million in punitive damages. Moore’s family attorney, Tray Branham, said, “We hope Johnson & Johnson will finally accept responsibility for these deaths.”
Johnson & Johnson’s Vice President for global litigation, Eric Has, responded that the company will immediately appeal the ruling, calling it “completely unlawful and unreasonable.” He added that the arguments presented by the plaintiff’s lawyers were based on so-called “fake science” and should not have been presented to the jury.
Legal experts note that the punitive damages could be reduced on appeal, as the U.S. Supreme Court generally limits such awards to no more than nine times the compensatory damages.