A Los Angeles jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to pay $966 million to the family of Mae Moore, a woman who died in 2021 from mesothelioma, after finding that the company’s talc-based baby powder contained asbestos and caused her cancer.
According to court filings, the jury awarded $16 million in compensatory damages and a staggering $950 million in punitive damages. However, legal experts note that the amount may be reduced on appeal, as the U.S. Supreme Court generally limits punitive damages to no more than nine times compensatory damages.
J&J has maintained that its baby powder products are safe, free of asbestos, and do not cause cancer. The company ended U.S. sales of talc-based baby powder in 2020, switching to a cornstarch formula instead.
J&J Expands Proposed Talc Settlement to Over $9 Billion
In a parallel development, Johnson & Johnson is adding $1.1 billion to its proposed settlement fund for resolving tens of thousands of lawsuits over its talc products — bringing the total to more than $9 billion, to be paid over 25 years.
The company said it has reached an agreement with plaintiffs’ lawyer Allen Smith, who represents around 12,000 clients, to recommend the offer to other claimants. This boosts the plan’s momentum after months of negotiations.
To implement the settlement, J&J plans to have a subsidiary file for bankruptcy, while the parent company will continue normal operations outside bankruptcy. The move would allow the subsidiary to manage payouts through the court-supervised process.
J&J said Smith agreed to the deal in return for “additional monetary and non-monetary benefits” for all claimants, as part of a bankruptcy plan that is expected to be reviewed by a judge later this year.
The company called the expanded proposal “the best and most realistic option” for claimants to receive compensation in a timely manner.
Background
J&J has faced tens of thousands of lawsuits in the U.S. alleging that asbestos-contaminated talc in its iconic baby powder caused ovarian cancer and mesothelioma. While the company denies wrongdoing, juries across several states have issued multi-million-dollar verdicts against it in recent years.
The latest verdict and settlement developments mark another chapter in the long-running legal battle that has tarnished one of J&J’s most trusted brands.
