Missouri residents may have heard that a jury punished Johnson & Johnson with a $4.7 billion verdict as a result of a lawsuit brought by 22 women who allege that the company’s talc powder caused their cancer. After years of debate about whether the company’s talc powder contains asbestos, Johnson & Johnson has finally decided to pull the product from the market.
The company is still facing scores of lawsuits from consumers who claim that the talc powder is a carcinogen. Many are speculating that the company’s decision to pull talc powder from the market is a prelude to a global settlement of all of these cases. There are over 16,000 cases in federal court in addition to state law claims against the company.
Controversy about this product dates back nearly five decades. Despite consistent claims that talc powder contained asbestos, Johnson & Johnson steadfastly refused to pull the product from the market. Now, the fact that the company has stopped selling the product might be used as evidence in the civil lawsuits. In other words, attorneys may question the safety of the product in light of the company’s decision to pull the product. This is why attorneys are speculating that there may be an eventual settlement. The removal of the product may be inconsistent with the company’s defense that the product is entirely safe and does not cause cancer.
Those who have used this talc powder and have been diagnosed with cancer might be entitled to substantial financial compensation. They may want to consult with a consumer protection lawyer in order to learn their legal rights. They may be able to file their own lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson to seek the compensation to which they are entitled. Plaintiffs should not hesitate to vindicate their legal rights in court if they have been harmed by a product.