A Los Angeles jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) to pay $966 million to the family of a woman who died from mesothelioma, ruling that the company’s baby powder was responsible for her illness.
The decision, delivered late Monday, marks the latest major verdict in a long-running wave of lawsuits accusing the healthcare giant of selling talc-based baby powder contaminated with asbestos, allegedly causing cancer in consumers.
The case was brought by the family of Mae Moore, who passed away in 2021. Her relatives filed suit that same year, alleging that prolonged use of Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder exposed her to asbestos fibers, leading to her rare and fatal cancer.
According to court documents, the jury awarded $16 million in compensatory damages for the family’s losses and an additional $950 million in punitive damages, intended to penalize the company for its conduct.
The verdict adds to growing legal pressure on Johnson & Johnson, which continues to face thousands of similar claims despite its insistence that its baby powder products are safe and free of asbestos.
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