A Los Angeles jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $40 million to two women who developed ovarian cancer after long-term use of talc-based baby powder. The verdict went to Monica Kent and Deborah Schultz, with Schultz’s husband also included in the award. Jurors concluded that the company knew its talc products carried cancer risks yet failed to warn consumers.

The trial lasted four weeks and featured testimony from scientists, medical experts, and former FDA Commissioner David Kessler. He told jurors that internal documents showed Johnson & Johnson was aware of possible asbestos contamination in talc as early as the 1970s. According to testimony, that information never reached the public.

Company representatives rejected the jury’s conclusion and announced plans to appeal. A spokesperson maintained that the products were safe. Still, the company removed talc-based baby powder from the market years ago, a move that continues to draw attention in courtrooms.

 

Broader Impact on Mesothelioma and Talc Litigation

Advocates for mesothelioma patients see the verdict as another signal that juries remain open to claims tied to talc exposure. Thousands of lawsuits across the US link talc products to both ovarian cancer and mesothelioma, a rare disease often associated with asbestos.

Many plaintiffs argue that contaminated talc placed consumers at risk for decades without exposure. More than 67,000 claims remain pending nationwide, with additional cases filed recently in the UK.

Courts have also addressed Johnson & Johnson’s repeated attempts to shift these lawsuits into bankruptcy proceedings through a divisional merger strategy often referred to as the Texas two-step. Judges rejected the effort multiple times, allowing cases to move forward again.

Legal observers note that recent verdicts arrive amid wider concern over rising cancer risks. Studies pointing to higher cancer susceptibility in Gen X and millennials have added urgency to litigation involving everyday products used over many years. For families dealing with mesothelioma and cancer diagnoses, courtroom outcomes like this one carry both financial and symbolic weight.

 

More Trials Ahead as Pressure Builds

The $40 million award follows a much larger California verdict from last year. In that case, a jury ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $966 million to the family of Mae Moore, an 88-year-old woman who died from mesothelioma in 2021. The decision drew national attention and raised questions about how future juries might respond to similar evidence.

Several additional trials are already scheduled for early 2026. Plaintiffs’ attorneys say the growing body of testimony, internal records, and expert analysis strengthens their position. Defense teams continue to argue that scientific consensus does not support the claims.

Advocates say that upcoming cases may focus even more closely on company records tied to product testing and marketing decisions. As trial dates approach, attention remains fixed on how courts will handle evidence tied to exposure that occurred many years before illness even surfaced.

 

Endnote

For patients and families, these cases often extend beyond corporate accountability. Mesothelioma prognosis often remains poor, and treatment costs can climb quickly. Verdicts like this one reinforce the belief that courts may play a key role in addressing harm linked to long-used products as more evidence reaches the public record.