Talc is a mineral that is mined from underground rock deposits. Asbestos is also a mineral that is mined from underground deposits.
Deposits of asbestos are adjacent to deposits of talc at many U.S. and international talc mines.
When talc is extracted and processed it can become mixed with asbestos.
Since the 1930s, medical and scientific literature has indicated that talc was commonly, if not invariably, contaminated with substances known or suspected of being carcinogenic, such as asbestos, silica, quartz, nickel, and arsenic.
For decades, products such as baby powder, perfume or cologne-scented body powders, face powders, anti-itch powders, and powdered makeup containing asbestos-contaminated talc were sold to consumers without any warning.
Click here for a partial list of talcum powders known to be contaminated with asbestos. Did you or you family use these or other brands of talcum powders?
Did you or your family members use any of these common brands?
For many years, asbestos was associated with high-risk trades including construction, oil refining, and ship building..
In 1997, Worthington & Caron represented a 52-year-old female who was diagnosed with mesothelioma. Our initial investigation of her past for exposure to asbestos-containing products focused on industrial, commercial, and military settings without any luck. However, she worked most of her life at a massage school and she regularly used Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) Baby Powder throughout her life.
We focused our research on the talc used in cosmetic products like Baby Powder and learned that the talc used in the powder was the same talc used for industrial products.
That same year we filed a lawsuit against J&J but their continued efforts to deny access to evidence of asbestos found in their Baby Powder were successful in having the case dismissed. J&J denied responsibility, saying that their Baby Powder was asbestos-free.
This setback proved to be only temporary. In the years that followed, we continued to bring cases against J&J for mesothelioma caused by use of J&J Baby Powder. Through hard-fought discovery battles against J&Js lawyers, more and more documents were discovered revealing J&Js longstanding knowledge of asbestos in its Baby Powder. Discovery of this crucial evidence was instrumental in our clients substantial recoveries from J&J.
News of J&Js conduct reached the public at large in 2018 when Reuters News published its bombshell investigative report proclaiming: “Johnson & Johnson Knew for Decades That Asbestos Lurked in its Baby Powder.” In 2020, J&J discontinued the sale of its talc-based Baby Powder and Shower to Shower body powder in North America.
Since then, J&J has faced thousands of lawsuits filed on behalf of plaintiffs diagnosed with cancer.
Click here to see a very long history of asbestos in talc.
In May of 2020, J&J made the decision to stop selling Johnson’s Baby Powder with talc in the United States and Canada.
Worthington Caron, PC was involved in the first mesothelioma case against J&J and has been part of the on-going effort to disclose J&J’s long-standing knowledge of asbestos in its products.
Since March of 2021, J&J has faced over 19,000 lawsuits over their talc powders.
Click here to find a compendium of news stories regarding J&J and asbestos. Check back often for updates. Some current stories included the following:
At Worthington & Caron, PC, our motto is “Asbestos Lawyers for Life.” The meaning is twofold – we are 100% committed getting asbestos cancer patients the justice they deserve and the life-extending medical treatment they need.
Since 1989, Worthington & Caron has been representing asbestos cancer patients and generated over 2.5 billion dollars in settlements and verdicts, including:
In addition, Worthington & Caron’s overwhelming commitment to mesothelioma research sets us apart from other lawyers. We have donated to this cause more than any other law firm we are aware of.
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with asbestos-related cancer or mesothelioma, please contact us.