$40 Million Verdict: Talc Trial Triumph*

Beasley Allen Law Firm has secured a landmark $40 million verdict against Johnson & Johnson in Los Angeles Superior Court. The jury awarded damages to Monica Kent and Deborah Schultz, two California women who developed ovarian cancer after decades of using Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based products, including Johnson’s Baby Powder.

The jury awarded $13.5 million in compensatory damages for Deborah Schultz, $8.5 million in loss of consortium claims for Albert Schultz, and $18 million in compensatory damages for Monica Kent.

This case is the first ovarian cancer bellwether trial in California’s Judicial Council Coordinated Proceedings (JCCP) against Johnson & Johnson. The outcome is expected to shape the future of similar talcum powder lawsuits across the country, including upcoming trials in other states and federal multidistrict litigation.

Johnson & Johnson’s History of Concealment

Evidence presented during the trial showed that Johnson & Johnson concealed the health risks of its talc products for more than 50 years. Internal company documents revealed asbestos contamination, yet the company failed to warn regulators or consumers. Instead, Johnson & Johnson continued to market its talc-based powders as safe for everyday use, even for infants and women using the products for personal hygiene.

Broader Talcum Powder Litigation

This verdict adds to a growing history of talc litigation:

• In 2017, a Los Angeles jury awarded $417 million to plaintiff Eva Echeverria (later overturned).
• In Missouri, a jury awarded $4.7 billion to 22 women with ovarian cancer, later reduced to $2.1 billion on appeal.
• Johnson & Johnson has received defense verdicts in other jurisdictions but continues to confront hundreds of coordinated cases alleging its talc products caused ovarian cancer or mesothelioma.

Johnson & Johnson’s repeated attempts to resolve talc litigation through bankruptcy filings in 2021, 2023, and 2024 were unsuccessful, forcing the company back into the courtroom.

Beasley Allen Leading the Charge

For more than a century, Johnson & Johnson marketed talc-based products as safe, even for infants. Yet studies dating back to the 1960s suggested a link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer.

Beasley Allen became involved in talcum powder litigation after epidemiological studies confirmed the association between genital talc use and ovarian cancer. Over the past decade, Beasley Allen attorneys have tried cases nationwide, in an effort to secure justice for women harmed by talc exposure.

Our relentless pursuit of justice has led to jury-awarded damages totaling more than $764 million and contributed to Johnson & Johnson’s decision to cease sales of its talc-based Baby Powder worldwide. With J&J’s third bankruptcy attempt now dismissed, Beasley Allen remains committed to fighting in court until every affected woman receives the justice and compensation she deserves.