California Court Holds Science Day In Regards To Talcum Powder Lawsuits

March 17, 2017 – – Earlier this month, the Los Angeles Superior Court convened a Science Day in order to look at the scientific elements involved in the thousands of talcum powder lawsuits filed against Johnson & Johnson (J&J), the pharmaceutical giant. Around 300 of these cases are due to be heard in California, and all involve women who have used J&J’s talcum powder for a long time and have since developed ovarian cancer. The first trial is set to take place in California on July 3rd. In this case, trial preference had been requested as the plaintiff has reached terminal cancer stages.

It is quite common for courts to convene a science day in cases of this nature. It gives people on both sides a chance to review the medical and scientific data that is available and that is pertinent to the case. These issues are heard in an off the record, non-adversarial manner. The plaintiffs’ lawyers looked mainly at the studies that exist that have linked the use of talcum powder on the genital area to ovarian cancer. Lawyers for J&J, meanwhile, focused on the various health advocacy groups and regulatory agencies that have not classified talc as a carcinogen in humans.

J&J is currently facing more than 3,000 cases in relation to its talcum powder products and the alleged links to ovarian cancer. Cases have been consolidated in various courts, including New Jersey and Missouri. Meanwhile, the U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, is presiding over a multi-district litigation. In these cases, the plaintiffs claim that their usage of the J&J talcum powder caused them to develop ovarian cancer, and also that J&J was aware of these risks and continued to market it in order to continue to gain profit.

The trial in California will be the first to be held outside of the 22nd Circuit Court in Missouri’s St. Louis City. Here, the biggest litigation is currently being heard. To date, J&J has been able to win one of those cases, but they have lost three, with punitive and compensatory damages awarded of $55 million, $70 million, and $72 million. The next trial in Missouri is scheduled for April, with another trial scheduled for June.

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