Johnson & Johnson is no stranger to controversy, and has been plagued with scandals over the last several years. From unsafe drugs to claims of fraud, the company has had is share of issues, but several months ago another potential liability surfaced that could deliver a very hard blow to the company. In May of this year there were several class action suits filed against Johnson & Johnson in California and Missouri, which claimed that one of the staples of the company, Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder, is to blame for ovarian cancer in women who have used their product.
The suits allege that Johnson & Johnson baby powder contains talc, an inorganic substance, which is a hydrous magnesium silicate, that is mined from the earth. The suits cite multiple studies showing that women who used Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder in the genital area have a 33% increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. The suits also allege that Johnson and Johnson failed to warn user of the associated dangers of using the product, and that the company knew of the dangers related to ovarian cancer since 1982.
The class action suits were filed after several individual suits claimed similar damages. Specifically, a South Dakota lawsuit, Berg v. Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc., resulted in a jurying ruling in favor of the plaintiff, and finding that Johnson & Johnson was negligent because it was aware of the risks of ovarian cancer related to the use of its product, yet failed to warn consumers of these risks.
However, as these cases move forward one thing is certain: plaintiff’s will need San Antonio product liability lawyers well versed in navigating the difficult terrain of product liability litigation who are aggressive and equipped to tackle large companies such as Johnson & Johnson. For more information on dangerous drug lawsuits, or product liability lawsuits, contact Barrus Injury Lawyers to learn more by submitting a contact request via our website.