Active litigationUPDATED JUL 2026

Talcum Powder Lawsuit Tracker

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Active litigationUpdated JUL 25, 2026

Talcum powder litigation is one of the largest and most consequential mass tort actions in American history. More than 63,000 lawsuits have been filed against Johnson & Johnson and its talc supplier Imerys, alleging that decades of Baby Powder use caused ovarian cancer, mesothelioma, and other cancers. The litigation centers on two distinct but related harms: the carcinogenic properties of talc itself when applied to the perineal area, and asbestos contamination in talc products traced to mining operations. Juries across the country have returned billions of dollars in verdicts, including a $4.69 billion verdict in St. Louis (later reduced to $2.12 billion on appeal) and a $1.56 billion verdict in Baltimore in December 2025. J&J discontinued talc-based Baby Powder in North America in 2020 and globally in 2022, replacing it with cornstarch. The MDL 2738 in the District of New Jersey, now before Judge Michael Shipp, is coordinating federal proceedings with bellwether trials underway.

From the docket

Litigation Timeline

14 ENTRIES
  1. July 2026

    Public Search Interest in Talcum Powder Lawsuits Rises Sharplyfiling

    Google Trends data show a sharp week-over-week rise in searches for "talcum powder cancer risks," "talcum powder lawsuit statute of limitations," "talcum powder lawsuit attorneys," and "talcum powder lawsuit," signaling growing public attention to this litigation.

  2. July 2026

    Public Search Interest in Talcum Powder Lawsuits Spikesfiling

    Google Trends data recorded a sharp increase in searches for terms including "talcum powder cancer risks," "talcum powder lawsuit," "talcum powder lawsuit attorneys," and "talcum powder lawsuit statute of limitations" during the week of July 24, 2026. Several of these search terms were flagged as "breakout" or rose by 100-200% week-over-week.

  3. June 2026

    Search Interest in Talcum Powder Cancer Risks and J&J Lawsuits Spikesfiling

    Google Trends data detected a breakout week-over-week rise in searches for 'talcum powder cancer risks' and 'Johnson and Johnson talcum powder lawsuit update 2022' around June 24, 2026. The spike suggests renewed public attention to ongoing litigation and health concerns tied to talcum powder products.

  4. June 2026

    Search Interest in Talcum Powder Cancer Risks and J&J Lawsuits Spikesfiling

    Google Trends recorded breakout week-over-week increases in searches for 'talcum powder cancer risks' and 'johnson and johnson talcum powder lawsuit update 2022' as of June 24, 2026. The simultaneous rise in both terms suggests renewed public attention to the ongoing talcum powder litigation landscape.

  5. December 2025

    $1.56B Craft Verdict — Largest Single-Plaintiff Talc Awardverdict

    A Baltimore jury returns a $1.56 billion verdict in Craft v. Johnson & Johnson — the largest single-plaintiff talc verdict in history. The award includes $1 billion in punitive damages against J&J, $500 million in punitive damages against Pecos River Talc, and $59.84 million in compensatory damages. The verdict reflects the jury’s response to evidence of J&J’s decades-long concealment of asbestos contamination and cancer risk.

  6. July 2024

    IARC Upgrades Talc to Group 2A ("Probably Carcinogenic")regulatory

    The International Agency for Research on Cancer upgrades its classification of talc from Group 2B ("possibly carcinogenic") to Group 2A ("probably carcinogenic to humans") in Monograph Volume 136. The upgrade is based on limited but consistent epidemiological evidence in humans, sufficient evidence in animal studies, and strong mechanistic evidence including chronic inflammation and altered cell proliferation. The reclassification significantly strengthens the causation arguments in pending talcum powder litigation.

  7. February 2019

    Imerys Talc America Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcyfiling

    Imerys Talc America — Johnson & Johnson’s primary talc supplier — files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the District of Delaware, citing mounting talcum powder litigation liability. Imerys ultimately emerges from bankruptcy in August 2025 with an $850 million trust to compensate current and future talc claimants, funded by $505 million from J&J and the remainder from Imerys.

  8. December 2018

    Reuters Publishes "J&J Knew" Investigationverdict

    Reuters publishes a landmark investigative report titled "J&J Knew for Decades That Asbestos Lurked in Its Baby Powder." Based on thousands of pages of internal J&J documents, the investigation reveals that the company had evidence of asbestos contamination spanning from the early 1970s through the early 2000s, fought to keep documents sealed, and continued aggressive marketing despite accumulating evidence of cancer risk. The report triggers a massive surge in new lawsuits.

  9. July 2018

    $4.69B Ingham v. J&J Verdict (22 Plaintiffs)verdict

    A St. Louis jury awards $4.69 billion to 22 women diagnosed with ovarian cancer after using J&J talcum powder products — including $4.14 billion in punitive damages. The verdict is later reduced to $2.12 billion on appeal by the Missouri Court of Appeals, which struck the claims of plaintiffs who did not have sufficient connection to Missouri. Even after reduction, it remains one of the largest product liability awards in American history.

  10. February 2016

    First Major J&J Talc Verdict: $72M (Fox v. J&J)verdict

    A St. Louis jury awards $72 million to the family of Jacqueline Fox, an African-American woman who died of ovarian cancer after decades of daily Baby Powder use. The verdict includes $10 million in compensatory damages and $62 million in punitive damages. It is the first major talc verdict against J&J and signals that juries are willing to hold the company accountable for concealing cancer risks.

  11. 2006

    IARC Classifies Perineal Talc as "Possibly Carcinogenic" (Group 2B)regulatory

    The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies perineal use of talc-based body powder as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" (Group 2B) based on limited epidemiological evidence linking perineal talc use to ovarian cancer. While the classification reflects limited evidence available at the time, it marks the first formal recognition by an international scientific body of talc’s cancer potential.

  12. 1982

    First Study Links Perineal Talc to Ovarian Cancerregulatory

    Daniel Cramer and colleagues publish a landmark epidemiological study in The Lancet demonstrating an association between perineal talc use and ovarian cancer (odds ratio = 1.92). The study is the first to provide scientific evidence of the talc-ovarian cancer link and launches a line of research that continues for four decades. Subsequent studies consistently confirm the association.

  13. 1970s

    J&J Internal Memos Reveal Asbestos Awarenessproduct-launch

    Internal Johnson & Johnson memoranda — later obtained through litigation discovery and unsealed by court order — reveal that J&J scientists and executives were aware of asbestos contamination in their talc products as early as the 1970s. Rather than reformulating the product, warning consumers, or withdrawing Baby Powder from the market, J&J chose to continue selling the product and suppress information about contamination.

  14. 1886

    Johnson & Johnson Begins Selling Baby Powderproduct-launch

    Johnson & Johnson introduces Baby Powder as one of its earliest consumer products. The talc-based powder becomes a household staple marketed for infant care and personal hygiene. Over the following century, Baby Powder becomes one of the most recognized consumer brands in the world, with J&J promoting daily use for the most intimate personal care applications.

Case results

Notable Verdicts & Settlements

7 ON RECORD

$1.56B

$1,560,000,000

Jury verdict2025-12-01

Craft v. Johnson & Johnson (Baltimore)

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.

$2.12B

$4,690,000,000 (reduced to $2,120,000,000 on appeal)

Jury verdict2018-07-12

Ingham v. Johnson & Johnson (St. Louis, MO)

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.

$117M

$117,000,000

Jury verdict2018-04-05

Lanzo v. Johnson & Johnson (New Jersey)

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.

$700M

$700,000,000

Settlement2023-06-01

J&J Consumer Settlement

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.

$850M

$850,000,000

Settlement2025-08-01

Imerys Talc Bankruptcy Trust

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.

$8.9B

$8,900,000,000 (proposed, rejected twice)

Jury verdict2023-01-30

J&J $8.9B Proposed Settlement (LTL Management — Rejected)

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.

$250,000

Jury verdict2026-02-01

California Talc Trial (February 2026)

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.

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