Talcum Powder Lawsuits for Women Who Developed Cancer
Last Updated on April 11, 2023
At A Glance
- This Alert Affects:
- Anyone who used a talcum-based powder from Johnson & Johnson and was diagnosed with ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal cancer.
- What’s Going On?
- Johnson & Johnson is facing thousands of lawsuits alleging its baby powder and Shower to Shower products can cause cancer.
- What You Can Do
- If you or a loved one used talcum powder and was diagnosed with ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal cancer, you may still have time to take action. Fill out the form on this page for more information. After you get in touch, an attorney or legal representative may reach out to you directly to ask you a few questions and to explain more about what it means to file a lawsuit.
- What Does This Cost?
- It doesn’t cost anything to get in touch or to speak to someone about your legal rights. Plus, you’re not obligated to take action just because you spoke with someone.
- How Could a Lawsuit Help?
- If successful, lawsuits could provide money for physical and emotional suffering, lost wages, medical bills, funeral expenses and more.
Case Update
April 6, 2023 – J&J Agrees to Pay $8.9B to Resolve Talc Claims
Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay $8.9 billion to resolve claims filed by thousands of consumers who allege that the company’s talcum powder products caused their cancer.
The proposed agreement will be presented as part of a reorganization plan for LTL Management, a J&J subsidiary that has taken on liability for the talc litigation and is now attempting to resolve it by re-filing for bankruptcy protection. J&J announced in a statement on April 4 that 60,000 claimants have already agreed to the proposal, which will need to be approved by the judge overseeing the bankruptcy proceeding.
Under the terms of the agreement, the details of which are expected to be finalized and filed by May 14, J&J will pay the $8.9 billion over a 25-year period into a trust fund from which “all current and future talc claims” will be paid.
Some of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs plan to oppose the agreement, claiming the amounts victims will ultimately receive will, in most cases, not even cover their medical bills.
If you or a loved one was diagnosed with ovarian, fallopian or peritoneal cancer after using J&J’s talc products, there may still be time to take action against the company. Fill out the form on this page to find out more.
Women across the country have filed lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson alleging that the company’s talcum baby powder and Shower to Shower products can cause cancer when used near the genital area.
According to these lawsuits, Johnson & Johnson knew about a link between talc and ovarian cancer since at least 1982, when researchers found that women using talcum-based powders had an increased risk of developing cancer; however, the company never placed a warning about this risk on its talcum powders, and, in fact, continued to promote these products for the exact uses that may put women at risk for cancer, according to the lawsuits.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal cancer after using talcum baby powder or Shower to Shower, you may be able to sue the manufacturer to recover compensation for medical bills and other damages.
Contact us today – free of charge – by filling out the form on this page and we may be able to connect you to an attorney who can help.
Is This a Class Action Lawsuit?
Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are handling these cases on an individual basis and not as part of any class action lawsuit. This means you will be filing your own lawsuit with your own attorney and making claims specific to your situation.
In cases involving serious medical conditions, individual lawsuits – rather than class actions – are typically filed to help ensure the person filing the case is fully compensated for their injuries. You can learn more about this here.
What Does Filing a Lawsuit Against Johnson & Johnson Involve?
The lawsuit process typically kicks off with the filing of what’s known as a complaint. This document, which is filed with the court, will detail the ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal cancer diagnosis, the plaintiff’s use of a specific J&J product or products, the allegations being made against the company, and the damages (i.e., losses) that have been incurred as a result of the diagnosis.
Your lawsuit may claim, for instance, that Johnson & Johnson:
- Failed to provide warnings that use of its talcum baby powder and Shower to Shower products near the genital organs could increase the user’s risk of developing cancer
- Disseminated false and misleading statements about the safety of its products
- Continued to sell products that it knew were unreasonably dangerous in order to increase and maintain profits
- Could have used safer alternatives to talc, such as cornstarch
- Should be held responsible for losses related to the diagnosis, including medical bills and pain and suffering
What Could I Get from a Lawsuit?
A lawsuit could provide compensation for the following:
- Medical bills
- Emotional suffering
- Physical pain
- Lost wages
- Loss of life’s enjoyment
In the event of death, compensation for funeral expenses, loss of expected wages and loss of consortium (i.e., benefits of a familial relationship, such as love, affection and comfort) may also be available.
How Much Does It Cost to File a Lawsuit?
Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are handling these cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you only pay if they win your case. Their payment will come as a percentage of your total settlement or jury verdict.
How Can Talcum Powder Cause Cancer?
It is believed that when talcum powder is used near the genitals, talc particles can travel up the reproductive tract and enter the ovaries. Because the body has a difficult time removing the talc particles, they may remain in the ovarian tissue and cause inflammation, which may cause cancerous tumors to form.
What About Fallopian Tube and Peritoneal Cancer?
There doesn’t appear to be much publicly available evidence regarding the connection between talcum powder use and fallopian tube and peritoneal cancer specifically. It’s important to point out, however, that cancer of the ovaries, fallopian tubes and peritoneum are usually diagnosed in later stages (after the cancer has spread), making it difficult to determine where the malignancy actually originated from. Indeed, evidence has shown that “as many as 80%” of ovarian or peritoneal carcinomas may have originated in the fallopian tubes.
Cancers that develop in the epithelial cells that line the ovaries, fallopian tubes or peritoneum (the layer of tissue surrounding the abdominal cavity) are now collectively referred to as epithelial ovarian cancers and are staged and treated the same way.
Evidence Linking Ovarian Cancer to Talcum Powder Use
During the last several decades, researchers have performed nearly two dozen studies on talcum powder, almost all of which concluded that women using talc near the genitals are at an increased risk for developing cancer.
The first study to suggest a possible link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer was published in 1971. In that study, researchers found that women who used these powders near the genitals had talc particles “deeply embedded” in a majority of their ovarian tumors and about half of their cervical tumors.
In following years, more than 20 additional studies have had similar outcomes. While some of these studies found that women were at a 30 percent increased risk of developing ovarian cancer after using talcum powder, some suggested that this risk may be as high as 300 percent. The most recent meta-analyses of these studies, published in 2003 in the International Journal of Cancer Research and Treatment, found that talcum powder use was associated with a 33 percent increased risk of developing ovarian cancer.
What You Can Do
If you or a loved one developed ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal cancer after using Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder or Shower to Shower product, you may be able to file a lawsuit and recover compensation for the harm you suffered.
For more information on filing a lawsuit, contact us today by filling out the form on this page. It doesn’t cost anything to get in touch or to speak to someone about your rights.
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