August 23, 2017 — A woman who developed ovarian cancer after using Johnson’s Baby Powder since the 1950s has been awarded $417 million by a jury in Los Angeles, California.
After 2 days of deliberation, the jury found Johnson & Johnson responsible for failing to warn Eva Echeverria about the risk of ovarian cancer from using baby powder for genital hygiene.
Echeverria was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2007 and recently had a softball-sized tumor removed from her body. She is currently hospitalized and was too sick to attend the trial. Echeverria says she would not have used baby powder if she knew it might cause cancer, and hopes the verdict will lead to warning labels on talcum powder.
Lawyers presented evidence linking talcum powder and cancer as early as the 1960s. The lawsuit cites a study in 1982 linking the genital use of talcum powder with a 90% increased risk of ovarian cancer.
The jury awarded her $70 million in compensatory damages and $317 million in punitive damages. It is the largest-ever jury verdict in the baby powder litigation and the first case to go to trial in California.
Last year, four trials in St. Louis, Missouri ended in combined verdicts totaling more than $300 million. Nationwide, another 5,000 lawsuits have been filed against Johnson & Johnson by women with cancer.
Do I have a Baby Powder Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting baby powder induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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