Intended for healthcare professionals

News

California jury awards $29m to woman who said Johnson & Johnson talc caused mesothelioma

BMJ 2019; 364 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l1215 (Published 15 March 2019) Cite this as: BMJ 2019;364:l1215
  1. Owen Dyer
  1. Montreal

Johnson & Johnson must pay $29m (£22m; €26m) to a California woman who was given a diagnosis of mesothelioma after using the company’s talcum based products for years, a further blow to a company that still faces nearly 13 000 similar lawsuits across the United States.

Terry Leavitt told the court that she used Johnson’s Baby Powder and another company product called Shower to Shower through the 1960s and 1970s. Her mesothelioma was diagnosed in 2017.

The jury in Oakland’s superior court found that the products were defective and that consumers had not been warned of the risks, awarding Leavitt $29.4m in damages.

“We respect the legal process …

View Full Text

Log in

Log in through your institution

Subscribe

* For online subscription