Jury Orders Johnson & Johnson to Pay $26.5 Million to Baby Powder Mesothelioma Victim

A 35-year old woman diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma has been awarded $26.5 million by a California jury. Christina Prudencio blames her diagnosis with the rare and fatal form of cancer on asbestos-contaminated talc used in Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder, a product that she had used every day from the time that she was sixteen years old.

Mesothelioma Victim Claims Johnson & Johnson Ignored Asbestos Warnings

Prudencio’s verdict is the latest in a long string of jury decisions that have favored those diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, ovarian cancer, and other diseases that have been linked to asbestos in Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based products. Each claim has pointed to evidence that the company had been warned of the presence of asbestos in the talc it was using in their iconic consumer product and that they chose to ignore it. In some cases, company executives took specific actions to keep the public from learning of their product’s potential dangers.

Among the evidence presented to the jury in support of the mesothelioma victim were notes of a meeting that took place in 1971, during which a company researcher reported the presence of chrysotile in their talc. Rather than removing the product and investigating further, the company chose to continue selling and marketing the product until 2020, when it discontinued sales of all talc products and reported to the SEC that it has set aside $3.9 billion specifically to resolve talc-related litigation.

Mesothelioma Victim’s Award Includes Medical Damages, Lost Income, and More

The $26.5 million award represents compensatory damages to be paid to the mesothelioma victim for her past and future medical expenses, for lost past and future income, for lost household services, and more. The jury will also be asked to determine whether Ms. Prudencio should be awarded punitive damages meant to punish the company for their negligence, and if so, how much that award should be.