Couple Awarded $120M Settlement in Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Lawsuit

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on November 20, 2020

In a landmark decision by a New York state judge, a Brooklyn couple has been awarded a $120 million settlement against pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson. According to public court documents from the case, the lawsuit states that after her longtime usage of Johnson & Johnson’s popular talcum powder products, 67-year-old Donna Olsen was diagnosed with a deadly form of mesothelioma. This rare form of cancer is caused by an extensive exposure to asbestos; a well-known carcinogen which is commonly found in talcum.

On Friday, November 20^th, 2020, Manhattan State Supreme Court Justice Gerald Lebovits ruled in favor of 67-year-old Donna Olson and 35-year-old Robert Olson, and awarded them $120 million in compensatory and punitive damages for their pain & suffering. Back in October 2017, the married couple from Brooklyn filed a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson alleging that Mrs. Olson’s mesothelioma diagnosis was a direct effect of her prolonged exposure to their contaminated baby powder products which the company continued to sell for decades…even after discovering that one of the main ingredients, talc, contains the cancer-causing agent asbestos and was causing people to fall ill. Donna Olson is one of those victims.

According to her testimony from the trial, Mrs. Olson indicated that she “used Johnson’s Baby Powder or Shower to Shower daily for more than 50 years.” She is currently suffering from an advanced version of mesothelioma but “we are hoping for the best,” stated Jerome Block, one of the family’s lawyers.

Johnson & Johnson has since released a statement regarding the verdict and settlement, indicating that the company will file an appeal based on the belief that the trial “suffered significant legal and evidentiary errors,” they said. This isn’t the first time that Johnson & Johnson has found itself in the hot seat with its baby powder products. In 2018, an explosive investigative report was released by Reuters which uncovered that Johnson & Johnson was aware of the asbestos in their talcum powder products from the early 1970’s to the early 2000’s but did nothing about it…except make a profit.

If you have been diagnosed with cancer after using Johnson & Johnson baby powder products, please contact the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham, P.A. today at 877-FL-INJURY to schedule a free 30-minute case evaluation.

Sources:

• Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $120 million damages in New York baby powder case
• Brooklyn couple awarded $120 million in asbestos lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.