Historic $1.5 Billion Verdict Against Johnson & Johnson

A Baltimore jury ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $1.5 billion to Cherie Craft, who alleges asbestos in their talc-based products caused her peritoneal mesothelioma. The company plans to appeal, arguing its products are safe. This verdict adds to a series of legal challenges facing the company.

A Baltimore jury has mandated that Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries pay over $1.5 billion to a woman who claims asbestos exposure from the company's talc products caused her peritoneal mesothelioma. The verdict, one of the largest against Johnson & Johnson, holds J&J liable for not warning Cherie Craft about potential risks in their baby powder.

The jury's decision includes $59.84 million in compensatory damages, with punitive damages against J&J and a subsidiary totaling $1.5 billion. Johnson & Johnson intends to appeal this decision, labeling it as mistaken and unconstitutional. This case follows another recent verdict in California where two women were awarded $40 million, also related to talc-based products.

Johnson & Johnson maintains its stance that its talc products do not contain asbestos, citing decades of studies to support their claim. Despite ceasing the sale of talc-based baby powder domestically in 2020 and globally in 2023, the company is embroiled in hundreds of similar lawsuits. They argue that the lawsuits are founded on unreliable science, as they navigate ongoing litigation.

(With inputs from agencies.)