© Mike Segar / Reuters
The jury has initially awarded $550 million in compensation and added $4.1 billion in punitive damages.
Johnson & Johnson, which is currently battling some 9,000 legal cases involving its signature baby powder, said it was "deeply disappointed" and planned to appeal. "Johnson & Johnson remains confident that its products do not contain asbestos and do not cause ovarian cancer and intends to pursue all available appellate remedies," spokeswoman Carol Goodrich said.
Of the 22 women represented in the case, six have died from ovarian cancer. Lead counsel for the plaintiffs, Mark Lanier said in a statement that J&J had covered up evidence of asbestos in its products for more than 40 years.
Medical experts testified during the six-week trial that asbestos (a known carcinogen) is intermingled with mineral talc, which is the primary ingredient in Johnson & Johnson's Baby Powder and Shower to Shower products.
Asbestos fibers and talc particles were found in the ovarian tissues of many of the women, the plaintiffs said.
"We hope this verdict will get the attention of the J&J board and that it will lead them to better inform the medical community and the public about the connection between asbestos, talc, and ovarian cancer," Lanier said.
"The company should pull talc from the market before causing further anguish, harm, and death from a terrible disease," he added.
They want to blame Talc for ovarian cancer, I don't buy it one bit. In this day and age of unlimited OTC and prescription drugs, and god knows whats in our food, plus ultrasonic exams that zap you with microwaves, anything can cause cancer! HTF can dust get into your ovaries anyway? Were these women dumping it in their vaginas! But, I'm sure some "$cienti$t" has the an$wer how.
Besides, why don't they go ahead and tell everyone they know exactly how to cure cancer and have for a long time? Don't let that chicken go, boys!
You still have thousands of dupes to first irradiate, torture and then take every cent them and their families have for your "cure". Right? Billion dollar industry not to be disrupted here! This is why in 50 years they haven't yet, and will NEVER find the cure for cancer.(according to the same guys $elling chemo)
It pisses me off because this is exactly how we as a public lose access to certain things deemed "dangerous" by a group of attorneys.
I happen to use talc for certain manufacturing processes. Too bad for me and others, eh.
And while I'm at it, BTW the big A$be$tos scam/scare was another total sham cooked up by attorneys. If you go around and breath fiberous dust of any kind for a long time, chances are good something not too good will happen, don't you think?..
Talc gets me going! LOL