On Thursday, February 6, 2020, a New Jersey jury returned a $750 million punitive damages verdict in a talcum powder case. The case alleged that exposure to Johnson & Johnson's baby powder caused mesothelioma in four plaintiffs.

The verdict occurred in Middlesex County Superior Court in front of Judge Ana Viscomi. Judge Viscomi is an experienced trial judge who handles a range of toxic exposure dockets. This trial was the second phase of the trial. The first trial involved only liability and compensatory damages for the four victims. There, the jury returned a verdict of $37.3 million in compensatory damages.

During trial of the first phase, the case made headlines as Judge Viscomi was forced to strike the closing argument of Johnson , following her accusations to the jury that plaintiffs' counsel was "sinister" and "attacking the profession."

Following the punitive damages verdict, Judge Viscomi reduced the award to a total of $186.5 million in alignment with the caps imposed by New Jersey's Punitive Damages Act. It is anticipated that Johnson & Johnson will appeal the verdict.

Johnson & Johnson baby powder litigation involves allegations that its baby powder products contain asbestos fibers and that exposure to this baby powder has caused women to develop cervical cancer, and in some cases, mesothelioma.

Our firm has experience in handling complex toxic exposure cases, including asbestos exposure, consumption of dangerous dietary supplements, and flavoring exposure litigation. If you have developed cervical cancer or mesothelioma as a result of use of Johnson & Johnson's baby powder, please contact the lawyers of Turnbull, Cain & Holcomb at (404) 793-2566 for a free consultation. 

About Turnbull, Cain & Holcomb

Turnbull, Cain & Holcomb is a nationally-recognized personal injury law firm with offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Birmingham, Alabama. The firm has achieved success throughout the United States, including large jury verdicts in numerous states and in a wide variety of areas, including trucking litigation, products liability, medical malpractice, and car accidents. Our lawyers are consistently ranked in Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Georgia Trend, and other prestigious ranking directories.