Those who have been injured by consumer products in Mississippi may be able to sue the company that made those goods. This is exactly what is happening to Johnson & Johnson in relation to its flagship talc powder product. There are numerous reports that the talc powder contains asbestos and is a carcinogen. The FDA’s testing found that several batches of talc powder contained asbestos.
This has led to thousands of lawsuits filed against the company. In federal court alone, there are over 16,000 cases. In one case, 22 women were awarded a total of $4.7 billion by a Missouri jury although that verdict is currently on appeal. For Johnson & Johnson, the prospect of the staggering amount of liability that it faces was enough for it to pull the plug on further sales of this product.
Some people have seen this as telegraphing that Johnson & Johnson is looking to settle all of the cases that have been filed against it. The company’s decision to pull the product from the market could give plaintiffs’ attorneys plenty of ammunition to use in a future trial. Attorneys may be able to hammer away at an inconsistency between the legal defense that the product is safe and the decision to halt sales of talc powder. In the meantime, Johnson & Johnson will continue to sell corn starch baby powder.
Those who have used talc powder for any period of time and have been diagnosed with cancer may want to speak with a products liability attorney. The maker of the product might be made to pay for the damages if what they sold injured the buyer. The damages in these cases can be substantial. An attorney may file a claim on behalf of their client as they seek compensation for their suffering and injuries.
