Defendant entity record
Johnson & Johnson lawsuits
Healthcare conglomerate; defendant in the largest active MDL in America — 68,435 talcum powder cases as of July 2026 — after three dismissed bankruptcy attempts and a documented decades-long internal asbestos record.
Claims in these lawsuits are allegations until a court or settlement resolves them.
Key facts
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The entity record
- Fact 1
- 68,435 — Pending talc cases — largest active MDL (JPML, Jul 1 2026)
- Source: https://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/
- Fact 2
- -10% — Worst litigation trading day — from the Reuters document story, not a verdict
- Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/johnson-johnson-knew-decades-asbestos-lurked-its-baby-powder-n948016
- Fact 3
- 3 — Bankruptcy attempts dismissed (latest: Red River, Mar 2025)
- Source: https://www.biospace.com/business/16-years-and-3-texas-two-steps-later-j-js-talc-liabilities
The talc litigation rests on a documented record: Reuters' December 2018 investigation of documents produced in discovery showed that from at least 1971 to the early 2000s, J&J's raw talc and finished powders sometimes tested positive for asbestos — and that the company did not disclose those results to the FDA or the public.
J&J then attempted the 'Texas two-step' three times, spinning talc liabilities into subsidiaries that filed bankruptcy; courts dismissed all three, most recently Red River Talc in March 2025.
As of July 1, 2026, the talc MDL held 68,435 pending cases — the largest active MDL in the country. All items here are from court records and verified reporting; allegations remain allegations until adjudicated.
Public-record events
Mar 31, 2025 · Bankruptcy
Red River Talc Chapter 11 (third two-step) dismissed; cases return to the MDL.
View source ↗Apr 5, 2023 · Settlement
Shares +4.5% on $8.9B talc settlement proposal (via second bankruptcy attempt, later rejected).
View source ↗Dec 14, 2018 · Other
Reuters publishes asbestos documents investigation; shares -10% (~$35B), worst day in ~2 decades.
View source ↗Jul 12, 2018 · Verdict
Ingham v. J&J: $4.69B to 22 plaintiffs; reduced to $2.1B on appeal.
View source ↗