J&J Wins Reversal of $417 Million California Talc Verdict
- Judge agrees parent company had no duty to warn consumers
- Ruling gives company momentum while facing thousands of suits
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Johnson & Johnson got a $417 million jury verdict thrown out after a California judge agreed the company didn’t have a duty to warn a woman who has since died that its Baby Powder could cause ovarian cancer.
The ruling Friday erased the fourth-largest U.S. jury award of the year. It follows a Missouri appeals court’s ruling earlier in the week voiding a $72 million talc-powder verdict and adds momentum to J&J’s defense against thousands of similar lawsuits. The world’s largest health-care company denies there’s an increased cancer risk from using its talc products for female hygiene and points out that no government health authority has found otherwise.