Baby powder with talc is often used by adult women for feminine hygiene. Unfortunately, recent studies have linked it with a increased risk of ovarian cancer and mesothelioma. Thousands of lawsuits have been filed and juries have awarded over $1 billion to victims.
Need a Texas Baby Powder Cancer Lawyer? Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged. If you or a loved one was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, you should contact our lawyers immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit.
UPDATE: Baby Powder Cancer Lawsuit Ends in $19 Million Jury Award
In July 2023, a young man who is terminally ill with mesothelioma was awarded $18.8 million by a jury who found that his cancer was caused by Johnson’s Baby Powder. Click here to read more.
Johnson & Johnson Offers $8.9 Billion Settlement in Talc Lawsuits
In April 2023, Johnson & Johnson proposed an $8.9 billion settlement to resolve at least 60,000 lawsuits involving people who claim that baby powder and other talcum powder products caused their ovarian cancer or mesothelioma.
J&J Stops Selling Talc Baby Powder in U.S. and After 25,000 Cancer Lawsuits
In May 2020, Johnson & Johnson announced that it would stop selling talc-based baby powder in the U.S. and Canada. The company is facing nearly 20,000 lawsuits from people who developed ovarian cancer or mesothelioma after using baby powder.
J&J blamed declining sales and “misinformation around the safety of the product and a constant barrage of litigation advertising.” The company said it plans to continue selling talc-based baby powder outside of North America.
Baby Powder Recalled for Asbestos Contamination
In October 2019, Johnson & Johnson recalled Lot #22318R of Johnson’s Baby Powder after it tested positive for asbestos contamination.
$40 Million Awarded in Talc Mesothelioma Trial
September 2019 —A jury in Los Angeles awarded $40.3 million to a 71-year-old woman who was diagnosed with mesothelioma after using asbestos-tainted Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower-to-Shower. Click here to read more.
$325 Million Awarded in Talc Mesothelioma Trial
June 2019 — A jury in New York City has slammed Johnson & Jonson with a $325 million verdict in favor of Donna Olson, a woman who developed mesothelioma after using Johnson’s Baby Powder. Click here to read more.
J&J Pays Settlements to Avoid Baby Powder Cancer Trials
April 2019 — Johnson & Johnson has paid 3 confidential settlements to women who developed mesothelioma after using baby powder that was contaminated with asbestos. Click here to read more.
California Jury Awards $417 Million in Baby Powder Trial
In August 2017, a woman who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2007 after using Johnson’s Baby Powder since the 1950s was awarded $417 million by a jury in Los Angeles, California. Click here to read more.
Baby Powder Lawsuits Centralized in MDL
With over 2,000 baby powder lawsuits nationwide, judges have centralized all federal lawsuits involving Johnson’s Baby Powder in a Multi-District Litigation (MDL No. 2738) under U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson in the District New Jersey.
Over $300 Million Awarded in St. Louis Baby Powder Trials
- 1st Trial — In February 2016, the family of an Alabama woman who died of ovarian cancer after using baby powder for 35 years was awarded $72 million by a jury in St. Louis, Missouri.
- 2nd Trial — In May 2016, a jury awarded $55 million to a woman from South Dakota who got ovarian cancer after using baby powder for nearly 40 years.
- 3rd Trial — In October 2016, $70 million was awarded to a woman from California who developed ovarian cancer after using baby powder on her genitals for 45 years.
- 4th Trial — In March 2017, a jury in St. Louis decided not to award compensation to Nora Daniels, a 56 year-old woman who developed ovarian cancer after using talc for 30 years.
- 5th Trial — In May 2017, $110 million was awarded to Louis Slemp, a 62 year-old woman from Virginia who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012 after 40 years of using Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower-to-Shower
Baby Powder Lawsuit News
January 19, 2017 — A lawsuit (PDF) has been filed by a man from Texas who blames baby powder for causing his wife’s death from ovarian cancer in 2014. Click here to read more.
March 30, 2015 — A proposed class action lawsuit on behalf of all women who purchased Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder has been dismissed by a federal judge in California. Click here to read more.
January 9, 2015 — A federal judge in Missouri has allowed conspiracy claims to proceed against Johnson & Johnson in a lawsuit accusing the drug-maker of intentionally concealing the potential cancer risks of using talcum powder. Click here to read more.
November 19, 2014 — Wrongful death lawsuit filed against Johnson & Johnson on behalf of a woman who used talc powder and developed ovarian cancer. Click here to read more.
November 6, 2014 — A team of researchers have linked asbestos in a popular talcum powder product to a case of mesothelioma, a rare but aggressive type of lung cancer. Click here to read more.
October 7, 2014 — A lawsuit involving 65 women who developed ovarian cancer after using talcum powder has been remanded to state court in Missouri. Click here to read more.
June 6, 2014 — Lawsuit accuses Johnson & Johnson of failing to warn that talcum powder can increase the risk of ovarian cancer. The plaintiff, Lynne Cebulske, says she started using Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower-to-Shower as a form of feminine hygiene in 1992. In March 2012, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Click here to read more.
May 14, 2014 — Class action has been filed on behalf of Missouri residents who purchased baby powder in the last five years. Click here to read more.
If You Have Ovarian Cancer Surgery
Important Note: If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and you are about to have surgery, the removed tissues should be preserved for examination. If you had short-term exposure to talcum powder (baby powder) as a child or long-term use as an adult, it is possible that an examination of tissues will find particles of talc linked to ovarian cancer.
What is Baby Powder?
Many types of baby powder contain talcum powder (talc), a powdered mineral that is made of magnesium, silicon, and oxygen. It has been used for decades in cosmetics, feminine hygiene products (such as Shower to Shower), and other products as a way to keep skin dry and prevent friction rashes.
Does Baby Powder Contain Asbestos?
In its natural form, talc contains asbestos, a substance known to cause cancer when it is inhaled. Baby powder with talc used to contain asbestos, but talcum products have been asbestos-free since 1973.
Baby Powder and Ovarian Cancer
Baby powder contains tiny particles of talc, which might cause ovarian cancer if the particles travel through the vagina, uterus, and fallopian tubes to the ovary. Many women use baby powder in their genital area for hygiene. Talc is also found on many feminine hygiene products, deodorant sprays, sanitary napkins, diaphragm contraceptives, or condoms.
When Was Baby Powder Linked to Ovarian Cancer?
The first studies linking baby powder with ovarian cancer were published in the 1970s, when researchers detected talc fibers in the ovaries of women with cancer. In 2003, the journal Anticancer Research published a meta-analysis of 16 studies and found a “33% increased risk of ovarian cancer with perineal talc use,” but no causal relationship between talc and ovarian cancer.
Another study, published in Cancer Epidemiology in 2008 by researchers from Harvard, compared about 1,400 women with ovarian cancer with 1,800 healthy women. They found that women who had used talc regularly were 36% more likely to have ovarian cancer.
More recently, a study published in Cancer Prevention Research found that women who use baby powder containing talc in the genital area may have a 20-30% increased risk of ovarian cancer than women who do not.
What is the Risk?
Even if there is a link between ovarian cancer and talcum powder, the risk appears to be small. According to the American Cancer Society, the average woman’s lifetime risk of ovarian cancer is about 1.4%, so even with a 30% increase, her lifetime risk would be about 1.8%. Still, talc is widely used in many products, so it is important to determine if the increased risk is real.
Class Action Lawsuit Filed in California
In April 2014, Law 360 reported that plaintiff Mona Estrada has filed a baby powder class action lawsuit in California. She says she used Johnson’s Baby Powder since the 1950s, but only recently learned about the risk of ovarian cancer. She accuses Johnson & Johnson of failing to warn about the risk.
Need a Baby Powder Lawyer in Texas?
Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged.
Collen’s amazing success in the courtroom and well known dedication to his clients has earned him the recognition of his peers as one of The Top Trial Lawyers in Texas.”
The Clark Firm has assembled a team of trial lawyers with more than 100 years experience, participation in over 600 jury trials and $260 million in verdicts and/or settlements. Please use the form below to contact our Texas baby powder lawyers for a free lawsuit review.
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