A cosmetics talc supplier embroiled with a group of 24 other defendants in a talcum powder mesothelioma cancer lawsuit has reached a settlement agreement with the plaintiff just four days into the trial for an undisclosed amount. That same company, Whittaker, Clark, & Daniels, was ordered just one week earlier by a jury in the same jurisdiction to pay a plaintiff in another mesothelioma cancer lawsuit a total of $4.8 million in damages over claims the defendant knowingly supplied asbestos-containing talc used in Old Spice talcum powder.
According to the mesothelioma cancer lawsuit, filed in a California Superior Court for Los Angeles County, in September 2018, the plaintiff developed mesothelioma cancer from exposure to asbestos-containing products produced by Whittaker, Clark, & Daniels and the other defendants. The plaintiff's lawsuit further alleged asbestos exposure due to products manufactured by defendants that manufactured and sold items ranging from cosmetics to automotive parts.
Whittaker Clark & Daniels is one of many cosmetics companies and their suppliers facing lawsuits brought by plaintiffs who claim to have developed various forms of cancer, including mesothelioma, from using asbestos contaminated talc-based products. Perhaps the most notorious of all these defendants is pharmaceutical and cosmetics giant Johnson & Johnson, which is estimated to face as many as 25,000 such lawsuits in federal and state courts across the country.
To date, talcum powder cancer lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson have resulted in over $2 billion in total compensation being awarded to dozens of plaintiffs in state courts. Many of those lawsuits alleged that plaintiffs developed mesothelioma cancer from the asbestos contained inside the company's iconic Baby Powder and Shower to Shower, both products made with talc sourced by one-time co-defendant Imerys Talc USA. Evidence presented at some of those trials showed that Johnson & Johnson may have known as far back as the 1970s that its talc could be contaminated with deadly carcinogenic asbestos fibers, but chose not to provide any warnings on product labels informing consumers of the possible risks to their health.
While talc itself does not contain asbestos, the two are both naturally occurring minerals that can be found side by side each other. If companies sourcing and processing talc do not take necessary safety precautions to prevent cross contamination, innocent consumers could be put at risk of developing serious health conditions such as mesothelioma and other forms of cancer. Mesothelioma in particular is an aggressive form of cancer that commonly affects thin linings of tissue surrounding vital organs such as the lungs, heart, and abdominal cavity and is directly and acutely linked to exposure to asbestos fibers.
Arizona Mesothelioma Lawyer
If you or a loved one was 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.
