HomeEconomyJohnson & Johnson ordered to pay cancer patient $18.8 million

Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay cancer patient $18.8 million

The Californian patient accuses the pharmaceutical group of having marketed talc-based powders that favored the appearance of his cancer when exposed to asbestos.

This may be a major change in the status of the Johnson & Johnson dispute. On Tuesday, a Californian plaintiff obtained in the US court the payment of 18.8 million dollars from the pharmaceutical giant, believing that these powders caused cancer. This was the company’s first lawsuit against allegations of covering up the health risks of its baby powder.

Oakland court jurors sided with the prosecution and found that J&J baby powder helped cause Anthony Hernandez Valadez’s mesothelioma, a specific type of cancer linked to asbestos exposure. Although the company had invoked Chapter 11 of the US bankruptcy law to exonerate itself from liability and obtain a stay of all litigation, the case was exceptionally allowed to go to trial due to the plaintiff’s state of health.

Powders withdrawn from the global market at the end of the year

This verdict could jeopardize the nearly $9 billion settlement offered to talc victims in the context of bankruptcy proceedings, which should allow leaders to avoid billions of dollars in legal costs and expenses and a new wave of trials This amount would cover all current and future lawsuits accusing the company of selling its range of talc-based baby powders knowing that some bottles contained asbestos. “This verdict will inspire people not to accept the $8.9 billion settlement if they can get $18 million at trial,” said Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor who teaches mass crime law at the Los Angeles Times.

Since 2020, these powders have been withdrawn from the US and Canadian markets by Johnson & Johnson, which cited a drop in sales: they should be withdrawn from the global market by 2024. The pharmaceutical group has also replaced talc with cornstarch in a new version. of the dust If the company did not react to the verdict of the Oakland court juries, it had always ensured that its baby powder did not contain asbestos, that it was safe and did not cause cancer.

Author: Timothy Talbi
Source: BFM TV

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