April 22, 2016 — My News LA reports that a man from Los Angeles has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson for failing to warn about the risk of ovarian cancer from using talcum powder for hygiene purposes.
The lawsuit was filed by Soren Threadgill on behalf of his wife, Eva Maria, who died in December 2012. She allegedly used Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower-to-Shower for 25 years before her diagnosis of ovarian cancer in 1998.
The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court against Johnson & Johnson, Imerys Talc America, Rite Aid Corp., and the Gelson’s supermarket chain.
It is the latest case in a wave of litigation since February, when a jury in St. Louis awarded $72 million to the family of a woman from Alabama who died of ovarian cancer after using baby powder for decades.
Lawyers say executives at Johnson & Johnson knew or should have known about the link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer. Instead of warning consumers, the products were marketed to women with slogans like “Just a sprinkle a day keeps the odor away.” The ads promised women they could use baby powder “anytime you want skin to feel soft, fresh and comfortable.”
About 1,200 lawsuits have been filed in state and federal court. In a recent trial, lawyers presented an internal memo from a medical consultant who said anyone who denies the link between talc and ovarian cancer was “denying the obvious in the face of all evidence to the contrary.”
Evidence linking talcum powder and ovarian cancer is limited, but talc has been found in the ovaries of women with cancer, proving it can travel through the reproductive system. Last year, the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer analyzed dozens of studies and found that most concluded that talc increased the risk of ovarian cancer by 30-60%. The average woman’s lifetime risk of ovarian cancer is about 1.4%.
Do I have a Talcum Powder Cancer Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting talcum 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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