MUSCAT : According to online sources, the verdict, handed down by a Los Angeles jury on Monday, includes $16 million in compensatory damages and $950 million in punitive damages. The case was brought forward by the family of Mae Moore, who died in 2021 at the age of 88. Her family alleged that long-term use of J&J’s talc-based baby powder, which they claim was contaminated with asbestos, led to her illness.

The jury found the company liable for Moore’s death, marking one of the largest verdicts to date in ongoing litigation related to J&J’s talc products.

Erik Haas, Johnson & Johnson’s global head of litigation, has, in response, strongly criticised the decision, describing it as “egregious and unconstitutional.” He stated that the company would immediately appeal, stating that the plaintiff’s arguments relied on “junk science” and should not have been presented in court.

J&J has long maintained that its talc products are safe, free from asbestos, and do not cause cancer. The company ceased sales of its talc-based baby powder in the United States in 2020, replacing it with a cornstarch-based alternative. Still, it faces mounting legal pressure, with more than 67,000 lawsuits filed against it by individuals claiming that its talc products caused various forms of cancer.

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