Jury orders Johnson & Johnson to pay $29M to woman who claimed baby powder gave her cancer

A California jury on Wednesday ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $29 million to a woman who claimed its baby powder caused her to contract terminal cancer.

A Superior Court jury in Oakland concluded that the health care company’s baby powder “substantially” contributed to Teresa Leavitt’s mesothelioma, according to USA Today. 

The newspaper notes that Leavitt’s lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson is one of many accusing the company of hiding its products’ health risks for decades. Leavitt’s suit, like others, alleged that her cancer was linked to asbestos in the company’s talc-based products. 

Johnson & Johnson, the largest health care company in the world, has reportedly been hit with about 13,000 lawsuits related to those issues.

It maintains that its talc-based products are safe. 

But USA Today noted other lawsuits similar to Leavitt’s that Johnson & Johnson lost. A Los Angeles jury, for example, in 2018 awarded $25.7 million to a woman who claimed the baby powder caused cancer. 

Johnson & Johnson’s stocked dropped by about 2 percent following the jury’s verdict on Wednesday. However, it did recover before closing at $139.41. 

Wednesday’s verdict comes about a month after the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission subpoenaed the company over its baby powder products. 

The company said at the time that intended to comply with the subpoenas. Johnson & Johnson said it would also respond to a request from Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) to produce documents regarding claims of asbestos in talcum powder products. 

Johnson & Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from USA Today.