Court orders Johnson & Johnson to compensate woman who claims her cancer was linked to using talc products for feminine hygiene
Pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has been ordered to pay $417m (£324m) to a terminally ill woman who claimed in a lawsuit that the talc in its iconic baby powder causes ovarian cancer when applied regularly for feminine hygiene.
The case was brought forward by Eva Echeverria from Los Angeles and is the largest sum awarded in a series of lawsuits alleging J&J failed to warn consumers adequately about the cancer risks of its talc-based products.
“We are grateful for the jury’s verdict on this matter and that Eva Echeverria was able to have her day in court,” said Mark Robinson, her lawyer, in a statement.
Echeverria, 63, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2007. During the four-week trial, she testified via video that she had used the powder for more than 40 years, beginning at age 11, and would have stopped using it earlier had the product come with a warning label.
She was awarded $70m (£54m) in compensatory damages and $347m (£270m) in punitive damages.
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