Talcum Powder Lawsuit Tracker

A Baltimore jury returned the largest single-plaintiff talcum powder verdict in history, awarding $1.56 billion to plaintiff in Craft v. Johnson & Johnson. The award comprised $1 billion in punitive damages against J&J, $500 million in punitive damages against Pecos River Talc (a J&J-affiliated entity), and $59.84 million in compensatory damages. The verdict reflected the jury’s response to evidence of J&J’s decades-long concealment of asbestos contamination and cancer risk in its Baby Powder products.

A St. Louis jury awarded $4.69 billion to 22 women diagnosed with ovarian cancer after using J&J talcum powder products, including $4.14 billion in punitive damages and $550 million in compensatory damages. The Missouri Court of Appeals later reduced the award to $2.12 billion by striking the claims of plaintiffs without sufficient connection to Missouri. Even after reduction, the Ingham verdict remains one of the largest product liability awards in American history and established the template for multi-plaintiff talc trials.

A New Jersey jury awarded $117 million in Lanzo v. Johnson & Johnson, a mesothelioma case in which the plaintiff alleged he developed the disease from asbestos-contaminated Baby Powder and Shower to Shower products. The award consisted of $37 million in compensatory damages and $80 million in punitive damages. The Lanzo verdict was significant because it established that juries would hold J&J liable for mesothelioma caused by asbestos contamination in talc products — a distinct legal theory from the ovarian cancer claims.

Johnson & Johnson agreed to a $700 million settlement to resolve a consumer class action addressing claims that J&J misrepresented the safety of its talcum powder products. The settlement covered consumer fraud and deceptive marketing claims from purchasers of Baby Powder and Shower to Shower products who did not develop cancer. This settlement was separate from the individual personal injury and wrongful death claims in the MDL and state court proceedings.

Imerys Talc America — Johnson & Johnson’s primary talc supplier — emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August 2025 with an $850 million trust established to compensate current and future talc claimants. J&J contributed $505 million to the trust, with the remainder funded by Imerys. The trust provides an additional avenue for compensation for talcum powder plaintiffs, separate from direct claims against J&J in the MDL and state court proceedings.

Johnson & Johnson proposed an $8.9 billion settlement through its LTL Management LLC bankruptcy to resolve all current and future talcum powder claims. The plan would have created a trust funded over 25 years to compensate claimants. However, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals rejected LTL’s bankruptcy petition twice — in January 2023 and again in 2025 — finding that the filing was not made in good faith because the shell entity was not in genuine financial distress. The rejection preserved plaintiffs’ right to pursue individual claims through the traditional litigation process.

In a February 2026 California trial, a jury found Johnson & Johnson liable for an ovarian cancer plaintiff’s injuries from talcum powder use, awarding $250,000 in damages. While the award was modest compared to other talc verdicts, the verdict was significant because it represented another finding of J&J liability in a state with active ongoing talc litigation and strong consumer protection laws. The case demonstrated that juries continue to find J&J responsible for talc-related cancers.