What are the Dangers Associated with Baby Powder?
Johnson & Johnson first began manufacturing baby powder with talc in the 1890s, meaning the product has been sold in America for almost 130 years. Most all of us are familiar with the silky feel, not to mention the smell of J & J baby powder with talc. Not all of us, however, are familiar with the link between talc and ovarian cancer. In 1971, a study detailed in the British Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology discovered talc particles in 75 percent of ovarian tumors, and by 1975, an internal J & J memo acknowledged problematic links between the use of talcum powder for feminine hygiene and ovarian cancer.
In 1982, Dr. Daniel Cramer reported the first case-control study which linked talcum powder, when used in the genital region, with ovarian cancer. Cramer found women could have as much as a 92 percent increased risk of ovarian cancer when they used talcum powder in the perineal area. By 1996, the condom industry removed talc from all products due to ovarian cancer concerns. The list goes on and on, but the bottom line is that many women may have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer as a result of using a product they believed to be safe.
Where Does the Baby Powder Ovarian Cancer Litigation in Omaha, Nebraska Stand?
Plaintiff Deane Berg filed the first lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson in 2009. While Berg was offered a settlement, she refused because she wanted other women to know of the dangers associated with talcum powder use. In 2013, a South Dakota jury found in favor of Berg, but awarded no damages. The jury did say that J & J should have warned consumers of the potential dangers of their talc-based products. Many lawsuits were heard after this first one, with plaintiffs being successful in a significant number of those lawsuits. Some received monetary awards in the millions, while the award of one group of 22 women was in the billions.
Johnson & Johnson appealed every decision against the company, however, in June 2020, a Missouri Appeals Court upheld the decision for the group of 22 women, although the punitive portion of the award was decreased. J & J has stated they will take the case to the Supreme Court. There are currently as many as 20,000 lawsuits filed by women who believe their ovarian cancer was the result of using J & J talc-based products for feminine hygiene. It is likely there are many women from the state of Nebraska among those with lawsuits against J & J, and equally likely the numbers will continue to rise.
Has Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder with Talc Been Recalled in the United States?
You may wonder why J & J talc-based products have not been recalled if they are this dangerous. The U.S. FDA has little to no control over beauty products—a category J & J talc-based products fall under. On May 19th, 2020, J & J announced they were discontinuing the manufacture of their talc-based products in Canada and the U.S. J & J has refused to admit their talc products are in any way unsafe, claiming sales of the products had dropped as a result of the “constant barrage of litigation advertising.”
Have the Omaha, Nebraska Statutes of Limitations Passed For Your Baby Powder Ovarian Cancer Claim?
The statutes of limitations govern the amount of time you have in which to file a product liability lawsuit for harm from a dangerous or defective product. While each state sets its own statutes of limitations (from one year to more than 10), these statutes can be impacted by a variety of issues. Because of this, it is important that you speak to a knowledgeable baby powder ovarian cancer lawyer before making any decision regarding your potential claim.
How Could Consulting with an Omaha, Nebraska Baby Powder Ovarian Cancer Lawyer Be Beneficial?
Speaking to an experienced baby powder ovarian cancer lawyer can not only ensure all your questions are answered, it can help you determine whether filing a baby powder ovarian cancer lawsuit is right for you. If you used Shower to Shower with talc, or J & J baby powder with talc for feminine hygiene purposes, and were subsequently diagnosed with ovarian cancer, you could benefit from speaking to an experienced Sullo & Sullo baby powder ovarian cancer lawyer.