Court Finds in Favor of Plaintiff in Baby Powder Cancer Case

Early last week, a Los Angeles jury found in favor of Eva Echeverria, a California woman who claimed to have developed cancer after years of using talcum powder. The court ordered manufacturer Johnson & Johnson to pay a record $417 million in compensation to Echeverria.

Echeverria, like many women, used Johnson & Johnson talcum powder products in her feminine hygiene routine beginning in the 1950s. After years of use, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2007 – a diagnosis she believes is linked to her use of the talc-containing product. Echeverria alleged, and some scientific evidence backs up, that her cancer was caused by exposure to talc in the Johnson & Johnson product.

Echeverria was in the hospital at the time of the verdict, undergoing her latest round of cancer treatment.

Spreading the Word about the Talc Cancer Link

According to her attorney, “Mrs. Echeverria is dying from this ovarian cancer and she said to me all she wanted to do was to help the other women throughout the whole country who have ovarian cancer for using Johnson & Johnson for 20 and 30 years. She really didn’t want sympathy… [but] to get a message out to help these other women.”

Echeverria’s award included compensatory damages of $68 million and another $340 million in punitive damages.

Her attorney used internal memos from Johnson & Johnson to support Echeverria’s claims, and was able to show the jury that the company was aware of the dangers of its product for more than 30 years, but chose not to warn consumers. The company plans to appeal the decision.

Multi-Million Dollar Awards Given to Cancer Patients

Echeverria’s is the latest in a collection of talc-cancer link cases that included a $110.5 million verdict in May, as well as three other trials last year that included compensation awards ranging from $70 million to $308 million. Three other similar cases have been thrown out or rejected.

More than 1000 similar lawsuits have been filed, many of which resulted in much smaller awards, but positive verdicts nonetheless.

We’ve worked with clients who have faced life threatening health issues after using defective or dangerous products. We believe nobody should be forced to deal with a lifetime of pain and suffering – or worse, have their life or the life of a loved one shortened – because companies chose to put profits before people.

If you used hygiene or personal care products that contained talc and you’ve received a cancer diagnosis, or you believe another product has caused you or a loved one harm, we can help. Contact Heavens Law at 888-897-5377 to discuss your case.