What are the Baby Powder Ovarian Cancer Dangers?

The vast majority of adults are very familiar with Johnson & Johnson baby powder with talc. In fact, the smell of J & J baby powder with talc ranks in the top ten of the most recognizable smells. Johnson & Johnson scientists developed baby powder with talc in the 1890s; the product took off, remaining a strong seller for more than a century, and making more than $400 million per year for the company by 2018. Despite the fact that talc fibers were found to be harmful to humans in the 1930s, the pharmaceutical giant continued to sell the product for nearly nine more decades.

Ovarian cancer tumors removed from women after their death were found to have talc fibers deeply embedded in them in 1971, signaling once more that women needed to be careful when using talc powder in the perineal region. After this information was made public, many other companies who sold talc powder began using cornstarch in their powders rather than talc. While J & J also manufactured a baby powder with cornstarch, they continued selling their talc-based products as well. An internal Johnson & Johnson memo acknowledged a problematic link between genital talc use and ovarian cancer—a memo that has been used at trial more than once.

Where Does the Baby Powder Ovarian Cancer Litigation in Jackson, Mississippi Stand?

Although Johnson & Johnson has consistently maintained its talc-based products are absolutely safe, a body of research says otherwise. In 2011, a ten-year case-control Cramer Study found that women with long-term genital talc use had a two-thirds increase of developing ovarian cancer as a result. Two years prior to this study, the first lawsuit was filed against Johnson & Johnson by a woman who developed ovarian cancer at the young age of 49 after using J & J talc-based powders for feminine hygiene for many years.

While the woman “won” at trial, she received no monetary award.  A number of trials have been heard since, with many of these trials resulting in favor of the plaintiffs who developed ovarian cancer after using J & J talcum powders. J & J has appealed every one of these decisions, and, following a huge win for 22 women in 2018, a Missouri Appeals Court upheld this decision in June 2020. Many of the current lawsuits were filed by women in the state of Mississippi, as well as across the nation.

Has J & J Baby Powder with Talc Been Recalled in the U.S.?

The FDA has little control over beauty products in the United States and has never requested that Johnson & Johnson recall their talc-based products. However, after almost 130 years of selling J & J baby powder with talc—with profits as high as $400 million in 2018—in May 2020, the company announced it would be discontinuing sales of its talc-based products in Canada and the United States. The company’s official statement was that while the products are perfectly safe, sales had declined due to the barrage of lawsuits.  

Have the Statutes of Limitations Passed for My Baby Powder Ovarian Cancer Case?

The statutes of limitations refer to the window of time you have in which to file a product liability lawsuit after suffering harm from a dangerous or defective product. Each state sets its own statutes of limitations, which can vary from one year to more than ten years. It is important not to give up on your baby powder ovarian cancer claim because you think your statutes of limitations may have passed because these statutes can be impacted by a number of issues. An experienced baby powder ovarian cancer lawyer can assess the facts of your Jackson, Mississippi claim and help you determine issues related to the statutes of limitations.

How Could Consulting with a Jackson, Mississippi Baby Powder Ovarian Cancer Lawyer Be Beneficial?

Those who have received a diagnosis of ovarian cancer after using J & J talcum baby powder with talc or Shower to Shower with talc for feminine hygiene purposes you may be entitled to damages. An experienced attorney from Sullo & Sullo can answer all your questions, helping you determine whether filing a lawsuit is right for you.