Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder, a bathroom staple, has been linked to the death of a 62-year-old Missouri woman.
A jury has awarded the family of Jacqueline Fox $14m (AUD) of actual damages and $86m (AUD) of punitive damages, Reuters reports.
Mrs Fox claimed she used two of the company’s talc-based products — Baby Powder and Shower to Shower — as feminine hygiene products for more than 35 years before being diagnosed with ovarian cancer three years ago.
Mrs Fox died in October last year.
After a three-week trial in Missouri, jurours said the pharmaceutical giant, in an effort to boost sales, failed to warn users of the potential dangers despite concerns raised by the American Cancer Society in 1999.
Jere Beasley, a lawyer for Mrs Fox’s family, said Johnson & Johnson “knew as far back as the 1980s of the risk,” and yet resorted to “lying to the public, lying to the regulatory agencies”.
Johnson & Johnson is reportedly facing 1200 lawsuits in the US from customers who claim they were not warned about the risks.
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