A Baltimore jury ruled that Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and its subsidiaries must pay more than $1.5 billion in damages to a woman who alleged that long-term exposure to asbestos in the company’s talc-based products led to her developing peritoneal mesothelioma, a rare cancer.
Jurors in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, on Monday found the company, two of its subsidiaries, and spinoff Kenvue (KVUE) liable for failing to warn plaintiff Cherie Craft that its baby powder contained asbestos, according to reports.
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) said it would appeal the jury’s decision, which the plaintiff’s law firm said was the largest-ever sum awarded against J&J for a single plaintiff, Reuters reported.
The award to Craft, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma in January 2024, includes $59.84 million in compensatory damages and punitive damages of $1 billion against J&J and $500 million against Pecos River Talc – a J&J subsidiary, the report said, citing court documents.
The case follows a California jury decision earlier in December that awarded $40 million to two women who said the company’s baby powder was to blame for their ovarian cancer.