Statute of Limitations
2-year statute of limitations for personal injury with discovery rule. The clock starts when the plaintiff discovered or should have discovered that their cancer was caused by talcum powder. New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act claims may carry a separate SOL and provide treble damages.
2028-06-30
Where to File in New Jersey
New Jersey is the federal MDL venue for talcum powder litigation. MDL 2738 is housed in the District of New Jersey under Judge Michael Shipp (succeeding Judge Freda Wolfson, who retired). J&J’s corporate headquarters in New Brunswick give New Jersey courts personal jurisdiction over the primary defendant. State court cases are filed in the Superior Court of the county where the plaintiff resides or where J&J conducts business. The first MDL bellwether trial — Judkins v. J&J — is scheduled for early 2026.
Exposure in New Jersey
Source: JPML
Source: Court records
Source: NJ Rev. Stat.
Your Legal Team
Catherine Reynolds
Partner — Product Liability & Pharmaceutical Litigation
Newark, NJ
Catherine Reynolds has dedicated her 22-year career to representing individuals and families harmed by dangerous consumer products, with particular expertise in talcum powder, asbestos, and pharmaceutical litigation. Her undergraduate background in chemistry gives her the scientific fluency to explain complex carcinogenic mechanisms — from talc particle migration to asbestos fiber pathology — to judges and juries in accessible terms. Catherine has represented over 300 talcum powder plaintiffs in both the MDL 2738 proceedings in New Jersey and state court actions, securing favorable outcomes for women with ovarian cancer and families pursuing wrongful death claims. She serves on the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee in the talcum powder MDL and has been recognized by the National Trial Lawyers as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer.
Education
- J.D., Rutgers Law School
- B.S., Chemistry, Rutgers University