In a verdict that is likely to cause an avalanche, pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson have been ordered to pay £51 million to the family of a woman who died from ovarian cancer that they linked to her prolonged usage of talcum powder, reports Mirror.
Jaqueline Fox, from Birmingham, Alabama, claimed she used Baby Powder and Shower to Shower for feminine hygiene for more than 35 years before being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
The verdict is the first in a U.S court to award monetary damages, although a previous case in 2013 also ruled that the product was a factor in another woman’s ovarian cancer.
Johnson & Johnson may now face hundreds of lawsuits stating that they failed for decades to warn consumers the risks of using talc-based products, although the research has suggested that using talc on the vagina, or products such as sanitary pads, condoms or diaphragms may cause ovarian cancer.
Jere Beasley, a lawyer for Fox’s family, said Johnson & Johnson “knew as far back as the 1980s of the risk,” and yet resorted to “lying to the public, lying to the regulatory agencies.”
Jurors found Johnson & Johnson liable for fraud, negligence and conspiracy, the family’s lawyer said.
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