State Jury Awards $250K to JNJ Talc Plaintiffs in Ovarian Cancer Case

Feb 13 (Reuters) - A Pennsylvania state jury awarded $250,000 to the family of Gayle Emerson, awarding $50,000 in compensatory and $200,000 in punitive damages, in a talc-based baby powder product liability case. The jury found the company liable for ovarian cancer allegedly caused by its talc products, per plaintiffs' attorney Chris Tisi. Emerson, who used Johnson & Johnson’s powder from 1969 through 2017, died of metastatic ovarian cancer in 2019. Her children continue the lawsuit after she died. J&J stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the U.S. in 2020, citing asbestos concerns, and maintains its products are safe and do not cause cancer. The company is defending more than 67,000 talc-related ovarian cancer claims in federal and state courts, with several dozen state trials scheduled and a pending federal procedural hurdle regarding expert testimony linking talc to ovarian cancer. J&J has sought bankruptcy settlements, which have been rejected, and prior trials have produced a range of outcomes, including a $4.69 billion verdict.