Johnson & Johnson is a name West Virginia parents have trusted for years. The company is well-known for its mild hygiene products that are marketed to be safe on babies. Because of their presumed safeness for use, some adults have also used the company’s talcum-based products on themselves for various uses throughout the years. Unfortunately, there is a possible link to cancer with the consistent use of J&J’s talcum-based products. A jury in another state just awarded $417 million to one woman in the products liability lawsuit she filed against the company, claiming a link between J&J products and her terminal cancer diagnosis.
The 63-year-old woman was too sick to attend the trail in person, but was able to testify on video. She used the talcum-based product for decades, trusting its safeness. Unfortunately, she had to have a softball sized tumor removed when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She claimed if the company had warned that frequent use could result in cancer, she would have discontinued using the product.
Allegedly, the company was aware of the cancer link to its talcum-based products as early as 1982. A study conducted by one researcher suggested that these products resulted in a 92 percent increase in ovarian cancer when women applied it to their genitals. The researcher reportedly recommended the company place a warning on its product, but J&J did not do so. Over 4,500 similar other lawsuits are being filed against the company all across the country.
While West Virginia residents bear responsibility to be aware of risks of any product they may use, the companies that produce products must adequately provide and warn consumers of the risks of their products. When they do not, consumers are potentially at risk for life-altering harm. Companies themselves may be at risk for having products liability lawsuits filed against them if consumers feel every reasonable effort was not made to consider their safety.
Source: Los Angeles Times, “L.A. jury hits Johnson & Johnson with $417-million verdict over cancer link to its talc“, Richard Winton, Aug. 21, 2017
