Although Johnson & Johnson has been dealing with thousands of lawsuits that claim the company’s baby powder causes cancer, it has maintained that the popular product is safe for consumers to use. However, a new report from Reuters revealed that J&J knew its powder was contaminated with carcinogenic asbestos and chose to conceal this information from federal regulators and the general public. This has been the position of lawyers representing innocent individuals in cancer related talc cases for years.
J&J has been ordered to share thousands of pages of company memos, internal reports, and other confidential documents with attorneys representing the 11,700 plaintiffs who are suing the company. According to Reuters, raw talc and finished powders produced by Johnson & Johnson sometimes tested positive for small amounts of asbestos. The report also revealed that company executives, mine managers, scientists, doctors, and lawyers were aware of the issue from at least 1971 to the early 2000s, but failed to disclose their knowledge to regulators or the public.
Contaminants in talc from J&J were first mentioned in 1957 and 1958 reports. Since then, numerous reports by scientists at J&J, outside labs, and J&J’s supplier have had similar results. However, in 1976, Johnson & Johnson told the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that no asbestos was “detected in any sample” of talc produced between December 1972 and October 1973, despite reports from three different labs that found asbestos in its talc.
The World Health Organization and other health authorities have not determined a safe level of exposure to asbestos. Although most consumers who purchase products containing talc never develop cancer, small amounts of asbestos over time can result in the disease. Many of plaintiffs suing J&J claim that the amounts they inhaled from dusting themselves with tainted talcum powder were enough to cause cancer.
J&J continues to maintain that its talc products are safe and that the company will appeal all of the recent verdicts against it. According to the company, its losses were the result of juror confusion, “junk” science, unfair court rules, and overzealous lawyers.
In a response to the Reuters report, Ernie Knewitz, J&J’s vice president of global media relations, said “Plaintiffs’ attorneys out for personal financial gain are distorting historical documents and intentionally creating confusion in the courtroom and in the media. This is all a calculated attempt to distract from the fact that thousands of independent tests prove our talc does not contain asbestos or cause cancer. Any suggestion that Johnson & Johnson knew or hid information about the safety of talc is false.” Wilson Law, P.A., along with many other law firms representing individuals who have been diagnosed, or who have died, as result of cancer subsequent to talc powder use and exposure, strongly deny J&J’s public statement.
Talcum Powder Lawsuit Lawyer
Have you or a loved one developed cancer after using Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder? If so, contact Wilson Law, P.A. for a free consultation. Attorney Kimberly Wilson White will review the facts of your case to determine if financial compensation should be pursued for your injuries. She is committed to serving clients throughout Raleigh, North Carolina, and all other states. Wilson Law, P.A. is prepared to use its extensive resources, knowledge and experience to fight for the justice you deserve.
Call (919) 800-0919 to set up your free consultation with a personal injury lawyer in Raleigh.