Pharmaceutical and cosmetics giant Johnson & Johnson is facing three more asbestos cancer lawsuit trials across the country over allegations that the company's talcum-based products caused various types of cancers developed by the plaintiffs. Johnson & Johnson and its talc supplier, Imerys Talc USA, have recently lost a series of trials in which juries handed down substantial verdicts in favor of plaintiffs to compensate the victims for their mesothelioma cancer diagnoses.
In California, attorneys for both sides will soon give their closing arguments in an asbestos talcum powder cancer trial in a Los Angeles Superior Court room. In that case, the plaintiffs represent the estate of the cancer victim who allegedly passed away from a mesothelioma diagnosis brought on by years of using talcum powder products produced by Johnson & Johnson and sourced with materials from Imerys.
In South Carolina, Johnson & Johnson will soon give its opening statements in a talcum powder asbestos cancer lawsuit and will do the same a week later in a Middlesex County Superior Court in New Jersey. Those two upcoming trials also allege that Johnson & Johnson and talc supplier Imerys Talc USA knowingly produced and sold talcum powder products contaminated with asbestos fibers.
While talc itself does not contain asbestos, the two minerals are naturally forming and often found in deposits side by side one another, which creates the real possibility of asbestos contamination if special precautions are not taken. Once used in a variety of industrial and commercial applications for its heat resistant properties, asbestos has been heavily regulated by the federal government since the 1970s because of the health consequences associated with exposure.
Asbestos exposure is directly linked to mesothelioma, a rare and deadly form of cancer that usually affects thin linings of tissue surrounding vital organs like the heart, lungs, and abdominal cavity. Despite worldwide research efforts to fight the disease, there is no definitive cure for the disease, and the cancer's long latency period means patients are often left with diminished treatment options by the time doctors make a diagnosis.
Even though nothing can undo a mesothelioma cancer diagnosis, victims can file asbestos cancer lawsuits to recover vital compensation to pay for medical treatment and hold companies like Johnson & Johnson responsible for knowingly producing a carcinogenic product. After a recent trial in Missouri, a state court jury awarded 22 plaintiffs and their family members a combined total of $4.69 billion in compensatory damages and punitive damages in their claim against Johnson & Johnson. The trial judge in that particular case also upheld the jury's award, finding no reason why the verdict should not stand.
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.
