This verdict marks the largest award ever given to a single plaintiff in the company’s 15-year-long talc powder litigation battle.
A California jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to pay $966 million (approx. 96.6 crore rupees) to the family of Mae Moore, an 88-year-old woman who died from mesothelioma, a rare cancer varietal.
Historic Verdict in Talc Powder Lawsuit
The Los Angeles state court jury ruled that J&J was liable for Moore’s cancer, awarding $16 million in compensatory damages and an additional $950 million in punitive damages. Moore had used Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder and Shower-to-Shower talc products daily for nearly 80 years. Her family alleged that the company knowingly concealed the potential health risks of its talc-based powders.
“We’re pleased the jury concluded J&J should be held accountable,” said Jessica Dean, a Texas-based attorney representing Moore’s family. “It took this family five years to get their day in court.”
J&J Plans to Appeal the Ruling
In response, Erik Haas, J&J’s Worldwide Vice President of Litigation, called the verdict ‘egregious and unconstitutional’, confirming that the company will immediately appeal the decision. Haas added that the ruling contradicts the outcomes of most other talc-related cases in which J&J has prevailed.
Talc Controversy and Ongoing Lawsuits
The verdict comes as J&J braces for a new wave of jury trials related to its talc-based baby powder, which was withdrawn from the global market in 2023. The company has already spent over $3 billion settling lawsuits that claimed ‘asbestos’ in its talc products caused cancer. However, J&J still faces more than 70,000 pending lawsuits alleging that its products caused mesothelioma and ovarian cancer.
- The victims in talc lawsuits have cited internal company documents, allegedly showing that J&J was clearly aware of the asbestos contamination (the named coined for a group of natural occurring mineral fibres which are strong and both heat and chemically resistant.) in its talc from as early as the 1970s.
- J&J has consistently denied these allegations, maintaining that its baby powder does not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer.
- The company insists that it has marketed its baby powder safely and responsibly for over a century.
Largest Talc Verdicts in J&J’s History
Before this latest case, J&J’s largest verdict came in 2018, when a Missouri jury awarded $4.7 billion to 20 women who claimed the company’s talc products caused ovarian cancer. The award was later reduced to $2.1 billion after appeal, though J&J ultimately paid $2.5 billion with interest.
Legal experts predict Moore’s verdict may also be reduced on appeal, citing U.S. Supreme Court guidelines that recommend punitive damages not exceed 10 times the compensatory damages.
Future Legal Challenges for J&J
Despite multiple failed attempts to use bankruptcy courts to settle thousands of talc lawsuits collectively, J&J continues to face mounting legal and financial pressure. The company’s latest defeat underscores the ongoing scrutiny surrounding the safety of talc-based consumer products and could influence future jury trials.
As litigation continues, the case of Mae Moore stands as a landmark in the long-running battle between Johnson & Johnson and victims of talc-related illnesses, shaping the next chapter of one of the most high-profile product liability disputes in the world and U.S. history.
Helene Elliott is the senior reporter for News Raise. She covers Science news. She also has a keen interest in photojournalism. Helene holds a nomination for the prestigious Red Smith Award. She is married to author Dennis D’Agostino, a former publicist with the New York Mets.
