Talcum Powder Lawsuits

For decades, countless consumers across the United States have used talc-containing products such as talcum powder. Although marketed as safe, thousands of people have come forward in the past couple of decades to report that they have developed medical conditions such as lung cancer, mesothelioma, and ovarian cancer.

Recent studies have linked these cancers to long-term talcum powder use. Recent reporting indicates that the manufacturers of talcum products may have known that use of their products could increase the risk of cancer but failed to warn consumers of these risks.

If you have developed cancer or other medical conditions that you believe resulted from your use of talcum powder or other talc-containing products, you may be entitled to compensation from talcum manufacturers who placed cancer-causing products on the market and/or failed to warn consumers about the cancer risks of their products.

Contact us for a free initial case evaluation with a talc lawsuit lawyer from Ward Black Law today. We will explain your rights and options at no charge. You can learn more about how our firm can help you pursue the financial compensation you may deserve.

What You Need to Know about Talcum Powder Lawsuits

Thousands of people who have used talcum powder and talc-containing products have begun filing lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson and other manufacturers of talcum powder products. They allege that these manufacturers knew that their products contained asbestos and could increase the risk of users developing mesothelioma and ovarian cancer, but did nothing to warn consumers of these risks.

Over the past two decades, juries and courts across the country have awarded over $150 million in talcum powder lawsuits. The first talc mesothelioma case, filed in 2006, led to an award of $3.35 million. In one recent case, a New Jersey jury awarded an individual and his family $117 million after he claimed that he had developed mesothelioma after using Johnson & Johnson baby powder for several decades. Another New Jersey jury awarded a group of plaintiffs $37.2 million for mesothelioma they claimed occurred due to inhaled Johnson & Johnson baby powder.

Johnson & Johnson has settled several other cases for millions of dollars per case.

What Is Talcum Powder?

Talcum powder is a powdered form of the mineral talc, which is made of the elements magnesium, silicon, and oxygen. Talcum powder effectively absorbs moisture, leading to its incorporation into personal care products such as baby powder, adult body powders, and cosmetics. Talcum powder helps keep skin dry and prevent rashes.

Naturally occurring talc sometimes contains asbestos, a mineral known to cause cancers when inhaled or ingested. When asbestos became regulated in the 1970s, trade associations issued guidelines directing manufacturers to ensure that their talcum powders and talc-containing products were free of detectable amounts of asbestos.

While talcum powder and talc products containing asbestos are generally accepted as having the ability to cause cancer if inhaled or ingested, manufacturers and some experts dispute whether asbestos-free talcum powder and talc-containing products can also increase the risk of developing cancers.

What Cancers Are Linked to Talcum Powder?

Several types of cancer have been linked to the inhalation, ingestion, or use of talcum powder and talc-containing products, including:

• Lung cancer, especially for miners of natural talc, which can contain detectable amounts of asbestos
• Mesothelioma, like with lung cancer, particularly prevalent for talc miners; in addition, consumers who use talcum powder products have claimed that their mesothelioma arose due to their long-term talcum powder use
• Ovarian cancer, as some studies have suggested that long-term genital use of talcum powder has led to women developing ovarian cancer.

Some studies have also suggested links between talcum powder use or talc exposure and certain types of cancer such as uterine cancer and stomach cancer.

Common Talcum Powder Products

Consumer products that contained or in the past have contained talcum powder and talc include:

Popular name-brand talcum powder products include Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower Body Powder, both manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, as well as Gold Bond Body Powder.

Who Is Responsible for Cancer Caused by Talc Exposure?

Different parties may have responsibility for cancers and other diseases caused by talc exposure. For example, miners of natural talc have claimed that they have developed cancers such as lung cancer and mesothelioma due to exposure to and inhalation of talc (in particular, talc containing asbestos).

Miners and other workers exposed to talc or talc-containing products (including workers in factories manufacturing talc products) may be entitled to hold their employers responsible for cancers caused by talc exposure through the workers’ compensation system, which requires employers to provide compensation for workers who develop illnesses due to exposures on the job. Some of the largest industrial producers of talc in the U.S. include Imerys Talc North America, Whittaker, Clark & Daniels, and Vanderbilt Minerals.

For consumers who claim that they have developed cancer and other medical conditions due to their use of talc products such as talcum powders, they may be entitled to hold the manufacturers of these products responsible for their cancer or medical condition. Johnson & Johnson arguably represents the largest manufacturer of talcum products, but other large talcum product manufacturers include Chattem (a subsidiary of Sanofi and the manufacturer of Gold Bond powder) and Colgate-Palmolive.

Our Talc Lawyers Fight for Maximum Compensation

If you have developed cancer or another medical condition due to use of or exposure to talc or talc containing products such as talcum powder, you may be entitled to seek compensation for the injuries, harm, and financial losses you have sustained.

At Ward Black Law, our talc lawyers fight to secure maximum compensation for your damages such as:

• Past and future medical treatments for your cancer or other medical condition, including the costs of treatment that you will incur even after your case is settled or you receive a judgment in your favor
• Costs of long-term care if your medical condition renders you unable to care for yourself
• Lost wages for time that you miss from work while treating and recovering from a medical condition caused by talc use or exposure
• Lost earning capacity, when you suffer an indefinite or permanent reduction in your income if your condition prevents you from returning to your old job or any form of gainful employment
• Loss of enjoyment or quality of life, including the inability to do things you previously enjoyed due to your condition, or the loss of quality years of life because of your condition
• Pain and suffering, or the physical and mental anguish caused by your condition
• Loss of consortium, which compensates your spouse for the loss of your companionship and society as a spouse

In addition, if you have a loved one who died from a medical condition caused by use of or exposure to talc or talcum powders, you and your family may be entitled to wrongful death damages. These can cover the loss of your loved one’s:

• Financial contributions to the household
• Services and other assistance to the household,
• Society, companionship, comfort, guidance, and advice

How Long Do You Have to File a Claim?

Claims that you developed cancer due to exposure to or use of talcum powder and talc-containing products are considered a form of product liability claim. In North Carolina, generally you are required under the statute of limitations to file your lawsuit within three years of the date that you are diagnosed with cancer or other condition or injury arising from your consumer use of or exposure to talc or talcum powder.

However, you also generally may not file a product liability lawsuit in North Carolina later than 12 years after the date of purchase of the product, no matter how long thereafter it takes you to discover that you were injured by use of that product. There are exceptions to this rule that may apply to disease claims like talc related mesothelioma, lung cancer and ovarian cancer.

How Our Talcum Powder Cancer Attorneys Can Help

If you believe your cancer has been caused by exposure to talc or use of talcum powders or other talc products, the talcum powder cancer attorneys at Ward Black Law can help you seek compensation for your injuries and damages by:

• Thoroughly investigating your case to recover the evidence necessary to prove that your condition was caused by your talcum use
• Working with medical experts to develop a strong, persuasive legal argument to establish a causal connection between your condition and your talc use or exposure
• Collaborating with your treating health care providers and with financial and vocational experts to prepare a case showing how your medical condition has impacted your life and to calculate the kinds of damages you have incurred
• Aggressively negotiating with the talc product manufacturers to try to reach a settlement of your case that provides you with the full and fair compensation you deserve
• Preparing to take your case to go to court, if it becomes necessary, and vigorously advocating on your behalf at trial to get you the financial recovery you need and hold the talc manufacturers accountable to provide you with the justice and closure you deserve for the harm you’ve suffered

Don’t fight the large corporations alone. Let the skilled talcum powder lawsuit lawyers from Ward Black Law fight for the results you deserve.

Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

Although early-stage ovarian cancer rarely causes any noticeable symptoms, more advanced forms of ovarian cancer can cause a few, nonspecific symptoms which also occur with other, more common, benign conditions.

Symptoms of ovarian cancer can include:

• Abdominal bloating or swelling
• Quickly feeling full when eating
• Unexplained or unanticipated weight loss
• Discomfort in the pelvic area
• Frequent urination
• Changes in bowel habits, including constipation

You should speak to your doctor if you experience any of the above symptoms, particularly if you have a family history of ovarian cancer or genetic risk factors for ovarian cancer.

Treatment Options

Treatment of ovarian cancer typically involves a combination of surgical intervention and chemotherapy. For early-stage cancers limited to one ovary, surgery may be limited to removal of the affected ovary and fallopian tube. For more advanced cancer, or if you don’t wish or need to preserve your ability to have children, surgeons may remove both ovaries, the uterus, and the surrounding tissue. Cancers that have spread, or metastasized, may require surgery to remove as much of the cancerous tissue as possible.

Surgical treatments are typically followed up with chemotherapy to kill the cancer cells that cannot be surgically removed.

Depending on your circumstances, your doctor may also recommend targeted therapies, which can include drug-based treatments, genetic therapy, or immunotherapies designed to target specific vulnerabilities in the cancer cells. Targeted therapies are often reserved for recurring cancer or cancer that resists standard treatments, as these therapies require testing of your cancer cells to determine what kinds of vulnerabilities they may have.

During treatment of cancer, you may also undergo palliative care designed to provide relief from pain and other symptoms of the disease and the treatments, including surgery or chemotherapy.