More than 3,000 UK citizens are suing healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson, alleging that its talc-based baby powder caused them cancer.
The plaintiffs also accused the company of “already knowing,” accusing it of a decades-long cover-up.
The landmark claim was brought before the High Court in London and represents one of the largest product liability cases in British history.
According to the plaintiffs, Johnson and Johnson (J&J) had been selling baby powder contaminated with asbestos, a known carcinogen, for decades, knowing that the product was dangerous and hiding the truth about it.
A claim brought by KP Law on behalf of people who have contracted ovarian cancer or mesothelioma is potentially worth hundreds of millions of pounds in damages.
It claims that J&J knew since the 1960s that its talcum powder contained asbestos fibers, but concealed this fact using internal company documents.
Allegation of excess decades
Court records allege that the lawsuit accuses J&J of concerted action to defend its lucrative product.
Michael Rawlinson KC, representing the plaintiffs, said the company hid the facts, pressured regulators to accept less sensitive testing techniques and funded research to minimize the risks of its talc.
A claim from 1973, which was made using a single internal company letter that purportedly stated: “Our baby powder contains talc fragments that could be classified as fiber. Traces of tremolite or actinolite can sometimes be detected… – minerals that take the form of asbestos in their fibrous forms.”
The plaintiffs believe they should have issued warnings instead of continuing to advertise the powder as pure and safe, especially to new mothers and, later, African-American women.
The company denies all accusations.
J&J and its consumer health subsidiary, Kenvue, which is now handling the allegations outside North America, vehemently deny the claims.
A Kenvue spokesperson stated: “The safety of Johnson’s baby powder is backed by years of testing… it does not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer.”
The company claimed that internal documents mentioned in the lawsuit are misrepresented and that negotiations over patent issues and testing standards were a regular part of business.
Personal tragedies fuel legal battle
The case is driven by highly emotional narratives.
Janet Fuschillo, 75, one of the plaintiffs who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer seven years ago, reported that she had dusted herself and her four children for nearly 50 years.
she told him bbc who had been doing everything he could to help them.
Patricia Angell is another plaintiff who claims her husband Edward died in 2006 from mesothelioma.
He claimed that although he worked as an electrician and had never been exposed to asbestos, he took Johnson & Johnson talcum powder daily.
Edward’s autopsy report contained the name of the talc, he said, as well as strains of asbestos in the contaminated talc.
The court’s verdict will be highly significant as it could set an important precedent for consumer product liability in the UK.
