Key Takeaways:
A Los Angeles jury ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $32 million to the family of a woman who died from mesothelioma linked to its talc-based baby powder.
"Johnson & Johnson tried to blame everything from environmental conditions in Mexico City to cosmetics and automotive work," Danny Kraft, an attorney at Dean Omar Branham Shirley who represented the family, said in a statement. "The jury carefully considered the evidence and concluded that Maria Lozano's mesothelioma was caused by decades of exposure to asbestos-contaminated Johnson's Baby Powder."
Maria Lozano died from pleural mesothelioma in 2024 after regularly using Johnson & Johnson's talc-based baby powder on herself and her children from the early 1970s, according to court documents. Her children, John Lozano, Araceli Lenard-Lozano and Jeanette Lozano, continued the lawsuit after her death. The jury rejected J&J's alternate exposure theories and assigned 0% fault to environmental conditions in Mexico City, cosmetic products and automotive work.
The verdict, handed down June 10 in Los Angeles Superior Court, comes five days after J&J won a separate California case in which a jury found the company was not negligent when three women alleged its talc products caused ovarian cancer. J&J has faced thousands of lawsuits from consumers claiming its talc products contained cancer-causing asbestos, allegations the company has vigorously denied. The healthcare giant stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the US and Canada in 2020 and globally in 2023.
The $32 million award adds to the legal overhang J&J has sought to resolve through two bankruptcy filings by its subsidiary LTL Management, both of which were dismissed by courts. Investors will watch for further trial dates as the company continues to defend against remaining claims in state and federal courts across the US.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
