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Jury Awards Woman in Talcum Powder Cancer Lawsuit

Woman Wins Talcum Powder Cancer Lawsuit Against Colgate-Palmolive

Talcum Powder Cancer LawsuitA Los Angeles jury ruled in favor of a 73-year-old woman whose claimed in the wrongful death talcum powder cancer lawsuit that she contracted mesothelioma from long-term use of talcum powder products manufactured by Colgate-Palmolive.

Studies and personal injury lawsuits around the country have both concluded that talcum powder products can often contain asbestos, a cancer-causing agent that has been outlawed for use as a building material due to its dangers. When talc is mined, it is often found with asbestos, and although many manufacturers like Johnson & Johnson have claimed that there is no asbestos in their talcum powder products, many plaintiffs who developed cancer after a lifetime of using these products believe otherwise.

Most of the talcum powder cancer lawsuits involve Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder and shower powder products which contain talc, and can cause ovarian cancer in particular. However, plaintiff Judith Winkel in Los Angeles says she developed mesothelioma from using these kinds of products, manufactured by Colgate-Palmolive, specifically under the brand name Cashmere Bouquet. Winkel died from the lung disease, and her husband represented her in court.

The jury deliberated for 2 hours before deciding that the talcum powder was 95% responsible for Winkel’s mesothelioma, and awarded her husband $1.4 million in damages.

Researchers have investigated the possibility that asbestos in talcum powder and cosmetic products could cause cancer since the 1970’s. The Food and Drug Administration released a report over 5 years ago claiming that there were no traces of asbestos in cosmetic products with talc, other researchers have linked daily talcum powder use to a 41% increased risk of ovarian cancer.

A more recent study, published last fall, shows a link between talcum powder and mesothelioma risk, as well. Scientists from three different laboratories investigated for over a year, examining talcum powder for asbestos – talcum powder is present in many baby and shower products, especially Shower to Shower by Johnson & Johnson – as well as lung tissue from a woman who died from mesothelioma, caused by asbestos contamination after she reportedly used a talcum powder-based bath product for years.

“Of course we knew that there was asbestos contaminating the talc in many cosmetic powders, but who would have ever thought that that’s the way these women were being exposed?” said pathologist Ronald Gordon, one of three authors of the extensive study on mesothelioma and talc products published online in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health.

“Every time I test a variety of the off-the-shelf cosmetics I always find asbestos in some of the talc,” said Sean Fitzgerald, a geologist with SAI Laboratory in Greensboro, N.C., which conducted a separate study. “This remains a hazard to consumers that should not be ignored.”

In this recent talcum powder wrongful death lawsuit, the jury found Colgate-Palmolive guilty of negligence for design, manufacture, or sale of the product. They found that the company produced a product and failed to adequately warn consumers about the potential dangers. Colgate-Palmolive sold off Cashmere Bouquet in 1995.

The Strom Law Firm is Investigating Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Talcum Powder Cancer Cases

If you have used a talcum powder product such as Johnson & Johnson’s Shower to Shower for years, and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma or ovarian cancer, you may be eligible for a personal injury talcum powder cancer lawsuit. The South Carolina personal injury and wrongful death attorneys at the Strom Law Firm as investigating talcum powder lawsuits, so contact us today for a free consultation regarding your case. 803.252.4800

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