Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has been ordered to pay $15 million to a Connecticut man who developed mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, allegedly caused by decades of using the company’s talc-based baby powder. The verdict was handed down by a jury in Fairfield County, Connecticut Superior Court.
The plaintiff, Evan Plotkin, filed the lawsuit against J&J in 2021, shortly after being diagnosed with mesothelioma. Plotkin claimed that his illness resulted from years of inhaling the company’s talcum powder, which has been at the center of numerous legal battles due to alleged asbestos contamination.
In addition to the $15 million in compensatory damages, the jury also ruled that J&J should pay punitive damages, with the amount to be determined later by the presiding judge.
This case is part of a broader series of lawsuits faced by Johnson & Johnson over its talc products, with thousands of plaintiffs alleging that long-term use of the powder caused cancer. The company has consistently denied these claims, maintaining that its talc-based products are safe and asbestos-free.
The ruling adds another significant chapter to J&J’s ongoing legal troubles surrounding its talc powder, as it faces mounting pressure to resolve the wave of lawsuits alleging links between its product and cancer.
