Court orders J&J to pay more than $4bn in case alleging its talc led to ovarian cancer
Washington — On Thursday, US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) was ordered to pay $4.69bn in damages in a lawsuit representing 22 women and their families, who said talc sold by the company contained asbestos and caused them to suffer cancer. It is the latest twist in a matter that has seen several thousand lawsuits filed against J&J. According to the victims’ lawyer, Mark Lanier, a jury composed of six men and six women in St Louis, Missouri, ruled in favour of the women after a six-week trial and eight hours of deliberation. The damages include $550m in compensation and more than $4.1bn in punitive damages. The plaintiffs said using the talc for personal hygiene had caused ovarian cancer. "For over 40 years, J&J has covered up the evidence of asbestos in their products," Lanier said in a statement. "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 as...
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