Mesothelioma Lawsuits Now Site FDA Asbestos Findings

Mesothelioma was thought to be cleaned up decades ago but has been found hiding in Johnson's Baby Powder, an everyday consumer product

Monday, November 25, 2019 - Thousands of individuals with mesothelioma, a rare asbestos-related cancer, are filing lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson, claiming Johnson's Baby Powder caused their disease. Also, retailers that sold the cosmetics to the plaintiffs are being included as co-defendants. Jacqueline Becker, a Honolulu Hawaii woman has filed a civil suit in Honolulu Circuit Court against Johnson & Johnson, makes of the iconic brand of Baby Powder and Food Land Supermarket Ltd. where the product was purchased. The lawsuit is similar to others who have claimed that their regular and lifelong use of Johnson's Baby Powder caused them to inhale Baby Powder dust and to develop mesothelioma. Becker also claims to have used Johnson's Baby Powder on the horses she cared for in the execution of her profession as "an equine chiropractor, avid equestrian, and show rider," according to the Herald Monitor. One can imagine the quantity of Baby Powder and the cloud of dust that would arise with every application. The respiratory health of the horses is unknown at this time. Talcum powder cancer lawsuit attorneys offer women and their families a free consultation before filing a lawsuit claim against Johnson and Johnson.

Several plaintiffs have been awarded between $80 and $300 million each in punitive damages for the mesothelioma that they have developed from the repetitive use of Johnson's Baby Powder. Johnson's Baby Powder carries a warning that the product is not for internal use and that inhaling the product can cause "breathing problems." Lawsuits claim that the warning label language reveals that the company was conscious of the fact that talc may be contaminated with a carcinogenic material and also that the warning language was inadequate to sufficiently inform consumers of the level of risk. The US FDA has tested bottles of Johnson's Baby Powder and found asbestos, a known carcinogen, in them. The company has been aware for decades that the talc that they were using to make baby powder was mined in the neighborhood of asbestos mines where miners were dying from mesothelioma in alarming numbers. The company also had to be aware that asbestos was mined in open-pits where the mineral was blasted from the ground forming gigantic clouds of asbestos dust that spread with the prevailing wind and contaminated entire neighborhoods surrounding the asbestos mines including the open pit talc mines that lay adjacent. It is a fact that the rates of cancer from mesothelioma for neighborhoods surrounding asbestos mines were astronomically higher than places further away proving cross-contamination. Imreys Inc., Johnson & Johnson's primary talc supplier, filed for bankruptcy protection in early 2019 due to being named as Johnson & Johnson's co-defendant in thousands of lawsuits from plaintiffs with mesothelioma and ovarian cancer.

Johnson & Johnson voluntarily recalled 30,000 bottles of Johnson's Baby Powder last month after the FDA tested and found that talc was contaminated with asbestos. Retailers Walmart, CVS, and Rite Aid responded immediately and removed all 22-oz. bottles of the product from store shelves. Retailers are now under pressure to err on the side of caution when it comes to selling products that are suspected of containing carcinogenic chemicals. The State of California Prop 65 is such a list and is required to be posted at the entrances of retailers selling such products.