Johnson & Johnson: A jury has ruled that Johnson & Johnson must pay $18.8 million as damages to a man who claimed he got cancer after using the company’s talcum powder. Tuesday’s judgement comes as a fresh setback to the New Jersey-based consumer company which is battling thousands of similar cases.
Contracted deadly cancer
Emory Hernandez Valdez, 24, told the court that he developed mesothelioma, a deadly cancer, because of J&J’s talcum-based baby powder.. In mesothelioma, a tissue develops around the heart causing the death of the patient. Valdez’s mother told the court that she had been applying talc on Valdez since his childhood. Doctors say that Valdez is not going to live long. Valdez’s case was the first one that the New Brunswick-based consumer major has faced in recent years. The trial lasted six weeks. J&J’s vice president for litigation Eric Haas termed the jury decision “irreconcilable with the decades of independent scientific evaluations confirming Johnson’s Baby Powder is safe, does not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer.” He said his company would appeal against the judgment. The jury decided that Valdez was entitled to receive compensation from the company for his medical bills. However, it declined to grant any punitive damages to the petitioner. Valdez can’t receive this payment because a bankruptcy court as frozen “most litigation over J&J’s talc”, says India Today. In their closing arguments, J&J’s lawyers said there was no evidence linking Valdez’s illness to asbestos. They also said Valdez failed to prove that his illness is related to contaminated talcum powder.
J&J’s products cause cancer
Valdez’ lawyers condemned the company and charged it of a “despicable” attempt to conceal asbestos contamination. It is noteworthy that tens of thousands of petitioners have alleged that J&J’s talcum powder contains cancer causing chemicals.
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