Texas Mesothelioma Claim Against Johnson & Johnson Resolves in Settlement
Last June, a Texas jury was the first in the state to hear a mesothelioma victim blame consumer giant Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder for causing his deadly illness. Despite much anticipation of how testimony from both sides would proceed, the victim and his wife reached a confidential settlement agreement with the company after just one witness had testified.
Mesothelioma Victim Blamed Lifelong Use of Powder for His Illness
The mesothelioma lawsuit was filed by Jerry Newton and his wife against Johnson & Johnson in 2019 after he’d been diagnosed with the rare asbestos-related disease. He claimed that he’d used the product daily since 1961 when he was 14 years old, and that he’d only stopped using it in the early 2000s.
The first days of the mesothelioma trial saw opening arguments from both sides, as well as testimony from pulmonologist Dr. Steven Haver of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Days before the trial began, Johnson & Johnson had lost two significant verdicts, with a jury in Illinois awarding a victim $45 million and a jury in Oregon awarding a victim $260 million.
Johnson & Johnson Argues Against Mesothelioma Liability
The confidential agreement between the mesothelioma victim and Johnson & Johnson is one of several that the company has agreed to in recent months. Though the company’s representatives repeatedly deny the presence of asbestos in its iconic talcum powder product, juries have been swayed by victims’ testimony and the presentation of internal company documents that suggest the company was aware of the risk of asbestos contamination. Juries have also seen evidence of Johnson & Johnson’s efforts to quash reports suggesting that talcum powder held hidden dangers.
There are currently over 60,000 pending mesothelioma and ovarian cancer claims against Johnson & Johnson, and though they were put on hold by the company’s bankruptcy filing, plaintiffs’ cases have begun being heard again.
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