In what appears to be the largest mesothelioma verdict in history, a Los Angeles jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $966 million to the family of a woman who died from the rare and aggressive cancer.
The case, filed by the family of Mae Moore, who died in 2021, alleged that Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based Baby Powder contained asbestos fibers that caused her mesothelioma. The jury awarded $16 million in compensatory damages and a staggering $950 million in punitive damages, citing the company’s negligence and failure to warn consumers about the product’s risks.
Mesothelioma is a fast-spreading cancer caused exclusively by asbestos exposure. While Johnson & Johnson has long denied that its talc powder was unsafe, multiple tests over the years have detected asbestos traces in product samples.
The verdict, believed to be the largest mesothelioma award ever, could be reduced on appeal. The US Supreme Court has ruled that punitive damages should not exceed nine times compensatory damages, which could lower the total to about $144 million.
Johnson & Johnson has faced tens of thousands of lawsuits linking its talc-based baby powder to cancers, including ovarian cancer. The company has made several unsuccessful attempts to use bankruptcy loopholes to shield itself from the lawsuits.
Although the company ended production of talc-based baby powder in 2020, switching to a cornstarch-based formula, it continues to deny wrongdoing and maintains that the product was safe.
The landmark ruling marks a major setback for the pharmaceutical giant, underscoring the growing legal and financial risks tied to decades of consumer exposure to talc products allegedly contaminated with asbestos.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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