Ovarian Cancer Sufferer is Awarded $55 Million Over J&J’s Baby Powder

Just days ago I wrote about the dangers posed to women by talcum powder given its perceived link to ovarian cancer. That was before the giant drug company Johnson & Johnson lost its second lawsuit of 2016 over claims that women who were using its baby powder developed ovarian cancer.

A woman in her 60s from South Dakota said she used Johnson & Johnson’s powder as well as Shower-to-Shower products for feminine hygiene for decades. She developed ovarian cancer in 2011. She subsequently had a hysterectomy as well as other surgeries.

Thankfully, her cancer is now in remission. New York Magazine reported how she was awarded $5 million against Johnson & Johnson by a jury and $50 million in punitive damages that are intended to punish the drug company.

Talcum powder seems to be an innocuous product but, in reality, the ovarian cancer link has been clear for some time. Johnson & Johnson was clearly cavalier in its failure to adequately warn women of the dangers.

In February this year, the family of a woman from Alabama who died from ovarian cancer, was awarded $72 million after using the same products. It’s just the tip of a potentially very costly iceberg for J&J which is facing more than 1,000 lawsuits brought by women who say they were diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

You can read more about these lawsuits here on our personal injury blog. It’s not acceptable for these big drug companies to sell their products without warnings and yet we have seen this happen again and again, whether in relation to the diabetic drug Actos which has been linked to bladder cancer, Zofran which is linked to birth defects or medical devices such as transvaginal mesh.

Johnson & Johnson is a massive drug company that makes billions of dollars in profits every year. Its products have been linked to numerous lawsuits brought by people who say they were harmed by them.

If you have suffered the ill effects of a drug, a medical device or a product like talcum powder, it’s important that you come forward and contact a personal injury lawyer. If your mother, sister or girlfriend has been hurt by this product, you should call us today for a free consultation at (757) 333-3333. See our page about dangerous products made by drug companies.