Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $417M for baby powder linked to cancer
A total of $417 million in damages was awarded to a California woman with ovarian cancer who had used Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder for decades.
As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the plaintiff, Eva Echeverria, had first been diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2007. She said she used the baby powder from age 11 until 2016, when she saw a news story about another ovarian cancer patient who had used the talcum products. The jury awarded her the large sum—which includes includes $70 million in compensatory damages and $347 million in punitive damages—determining there was a link between her use of the product and her cancer.
“My client's dying,'' attorney Mark Robinson said, adding that she was too ill to attend the trial. "But she feels good today that maybe women in America and maybe even Johnson & Johnson will get the message.’’
Johnson & Johnson promised to appeal the ruling “because we are guided by the science, which supports the safety of Johnson's Baby Powder.” It faces more than 4,500 similar lawsuits around the country.
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John joined TriMed in 2016, focusing on healthcare policy and regulation. After graduating from Columbia College Chicago, he worked at FM News Chicago and Rivet News Radio, and worked on the state government and politics beat for the Illinois Radio Network. Outside of work, you may find him adding to his never-ending graphic novel collection.