Jurors reject claim that asbestos in talcum powder caused mesothelioma
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Jurors in Pasadena, California, have found no liability in a lawsuit by a woman who said that she contracted mesothelioma by inhaling asbestos in baby powder.
Jurors on Thursday ruled against Tina Herford in her lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson and a talc supplier, report Reuters, Courtroom View Network, Law360 (sub. req.) and Law.com (sub. req.).
Lawyers for Herford had contended Johnson & Johnson ignored warning signs that its products contained asbestos. The company said the products used by Herford didn’t contain asbestos and she likely became sick from radiation treatments for breast cancer.
The verdict is the first in a trial that sought to hold Johnson & Johnson liable for asbestos in its products, though cases against different defendants have produced multimillion dollar verdicts.
Johnson & Johnson is fighting thousands of other suits claiming its baby powder causes ovarian cancer.
J&J spokesperson Carol Goodrich told Courtroom View Network that the mesothelioma claim is baseless. “Johnson’s Baby Powder has been around since 1894 and it does not contain asbestos or cause mesothelioma or ovarian cancer,” Goodrich said.
