Personal care products company Colgate-Palmolive recently reached a settlement with a California man in a talcum powder asbestos cancer lawsuit on the verge of trial in state Superior Court. The terms of the settlement were not released in the case of the now 67-year-old man who claimed he developed his disease as a result of years of using talc-based products developed and sold by the defendant, which formerly did business as the Mennen Co. The two-sides resolved the case during a lunch break after spending several days selecting a jury for trial.
According to the mesothelioma cancer lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, the plaintiff developed his mesothelioma cancer after decades of using asbestos-contaminated talcum powder products marketed by Colgate-Palmolive and Menen Co. The plaintiff claimed the defendant knew fully well about the asbestos contained in its Mennen Baby Powder but did nothing to warn consumers about the risks associated with exposure to the deadly carcinogen.
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer directly linked to asbestos exposure. The disease can take several decades to show symptoms, known as the latency period, and commonly affects the thin linings of tissue surrounding vital organs like the lungs, abdomen, and heart. Due to the long latency period, mesothelioma patients often have diminished treatment options which can complicate the prognosis of their condition. While research continues on searching for a cure for the disease, none exists at this time.
Colgate-Palmolive, which acquired Mennin Co. in 1992, argued in court papers that their talc-based products never contained asbestos and that there is no reliable scientific evidence linking such exposure to mesothelioma. While talcum powder companies often make such defense claims, lawsuits across the country have revealed these corporations knew full well that their products were contaminated with asbestos.
Talc and asbestos are both naturally occurring minerals often found in deposits adjacent to one another, which can lead to talc contamination if care is not taken to separate the two substances from one another. Although federal law has required talc to be asbestos-free for many decades now, plaintiffs in talcum powder asbestos lawsuits allege that independent testing shows the talc sourced for Johnson & Johnson products still contains asbestos to this day.
Across the country, thousands of individuals have filed talcum powder cancer lawsuits against pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies like Colgate-Palmolive and Johnson & Johnson, as well as talc suppliers like Imerys Talc. These lawsuits allege plaintiffs developed serious forms of cancer like mesothelioma and ovarian cancer as a result of the defendant's knowingly producing a carcinogenic product. Recently, a New Jersey state jury handed down a $117 million verdict in favor of a plaintiff who claimed talcum powder caused his mesothelioma diagnosis.
Arizona Mesothelioma Lawyer
If you or a loved one were diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact our office to speak to one of our experienced Arizona mesothelioma attorneys about your situation. Our office can help investigate your case and determine if compensation can be sought from negligent parties to help pay for your medical treatment to help you and your family live a more comfortable life.
