Johnson & Johnson Ordered to Pay $417 Million in Cancer Lawsuit

A Los Angeles Superior Court jury on Monday have favored 63 year old California resident Eva Echeverria in her lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson.

Echeverria claimed that J&J failed to adequately warn its customers about the cancer risks of its talc-based products. She also claimed she developed terminal ovarian cancer after using J&J’s Baby Powder for feminine hygiene for many decades.

The verdict was the largest yet for Johnson & Johnson who was ordered to pay $417 million. As part of the verdict, $70 million is for compensatory damages and $347 million is for punitive damages. It was also the first talc trial to go to trial in California.

“We are grateful for the jury’s verdict on this matter and that Eva Echeverria was able to have her day in court,” said Echeverria’s lawyer Mark Robinson.

“We will appeal today’s verdict because we are guided by the science, which supports the safety of Johnson’s Baby Powder,” J&J said.

The company has 4,800 similar claims across the nation and has already been hit with over $300 million in verdicts by Missouri juries.

Disclaimer: We have no position in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) and have not been compensated for this article.