Why did Talcum Powder Face so Many Lawsuits?
Simply because talcum powder is carcinogenic due to the presence of asbestos in it.
Talcum powder, made from talc or hydrated magnesium silicate is often found contaminated with asbestos because both are often found close together inside the mines. When you use contaminated talc for personal beauty products, the results are pretty much predictable. The talc, entering the body through every orifice that’s near to where you’re applying it, has wrecked havoc upon those whose system couldn’t fight it back anymore. That orifice could be your noise or your mouth; the ears or the genitals, and the results do not need to be explained in too detail.
When used in the genital area, research suggests that carcinogenic agents in talc could potentially enter the vagina and travel to the uterus, and fallopian tubes to the ovaries, which could lead to ovarian or fallopian tube cancer. Studies reveal that women who use talcum powder are 30% more likely to develop ovarian cancers than women who do not.
What can a Mass Tort Attorney do for you in a Talcum Powder Suit?
Mass tort litigation occurs when many lawsuits with the same concern for a particular product are put together as one single case. There will be multiple plaintiffs in one such case. And it will be dealt with in one court.
A mass tort litigation is not a class-action lawsuit, which is all lawsuits are grouped together and formed into a class and class representatives are chosen, who represent all the victims who are involved in the case. A mass tort litigation, moreover; involves different claims for different individuals and compensation is sought separately, unlike a class action. You’ll need aid from a mass tort attorney here who will prove the circumstances you are in and claim the amount you deserve rightfully for the damages you incurred.
A famous Talcum Powder Lawsuit
Indeed, it has to be the case with Johnson & Johnson. This particular mass tort litigation occurred because J&J concealed the risks associated with their talcum powders for over four decades. As a company dealing in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical products, they were (and are) supposed to provide safe products. If not, then at least give a warning against all potential risks. Mass tort attorneys who represented the victims of J&J products in the Court proved the company to be negligent in their dealings, which led many to physical and psychological distress.
A mass tort attorney is the person who is capable leading your litigation in the right track. A Mass tort attorney shall also determine and claim the compensation for the damages you suffered. The compensation shall consider all of the following:
- Financial damages that your illness caused you (current medical expenses, future treatment costs and lost wages.)
- Pain and suffering, which is a serious side effect of cancer.
A mass tort attorney is never going to ask for any charges upfront. They work on a contingency basis, which is that they take a percentage of the compensation you receive after winning the case. Neither shall a mass tort attorney ask for any payment to review a case.
A List of Talcum Powder Lawsuits
Apart from Johnson & Johnson, many other talcum powders faced the lawsuit; some of which are:
- Baby Powders: Rite Aid, Angel of Mine, Family Dollar
- Powder for adults: CVS, Shower to Shower, Colgate-Palmolive’s Cashmere Boutique.
Nevertheless, Johnson & Johnson leads the way.
All these companies failed to secure public health, especially the health of infants, but they continued selling their products to millions all over the world.
It was 2009 when the first lawsuit case was launched against J&J but it became 2013 till matters started progressing. Within the next six years, the number went up to 14,400 and those involved only the subject of cancer.
As of now, victims are winning big every year, against Johnson & Johnson. Compensation amounts may go up to as high as $72 million, depending upon your sufferings and damages that affected you. The company paid that amount to a family upon the death of one of its members from ovarian cancer. But there are instances of higher compensation as well!
For example, 22 women received about $4.7 billion (2018), while in the following year, three more cases were settled for an undisclosed amount. This was followed by a settlement amount of $325 million to another person elsewhere. However we must also mention here the $417 million (2017), $110 million (2017) and $70 million in 2016.
It is for the mass tort attorneys that the aggrieved families could be compensated, and the big pharmas at fault could be taught a lesson. Without their existence, there would be many dying a silent, painful death while their families would slowly fade to obscurity.
If you think you are eligible for a talcum powder lawsuit and have exhausted yourself in the treatment for cancer or some sort of respiratory problem, it is time for you to seek help from a mass tort attorney.