The lawyer who oversaw payments to victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks will be appointed by a federal judge to estimate the total liability that Johnson & Johnson faces for claims that talc in its baby powder causes cancer.
Kenneth R. Feinberg would oversee one of the most contentious parts of J&J’s effort to force a negotiated end to more than 38,000 lawsuits that accuse the health care giant of causing cancer. The high-profile mediator will be asked to estimate how many people have legitimate claims against J&J and how much money it may cost to compensate them.
