Johnson & Johnson to pay $15 million to US man who claims its talc gave him cancer
Connecticut: Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has been ordered to pay $15 million to a U.S. man who alleges that he developed mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, after using the company’s talc powder for decades.
According to Reuters, Plaintiff Evan Plotkin sued the company in 2021 soon after his diagnosis, saying he became ill from inhaling J&J's baby powder. The verdict by jury comes as J&J seeks to resolve claims from over 62,000 individuals who say that they got ovarian and other gynaecological cancers from talc through a nearly $9 billion settlement in bankruptcy.
While the bankruptcy deal faces legal challenges from some plaintiffs' lawyers and has put lawsuits related to gynaecological cancers on hold, it does not impact the smaller number of mesothelioma claims, such as Plotkin's. J&J has settled some of those claims in the past but has not proposed a nationwide settlement yet.
Plaintiffs in all of the lawsuits say that J&J's talc products, including its once iconic baby powder, were tainted with asbestos, a carcinogen known to cause mesothelioma and other cancers, as mentioned by the news agency.
J&J denies these allegations, maintaining that its products are safe and free of asbestos.
The company withdrew its talc-based powder products from the U.S. market in 2020.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Election results: BJP hits 84% strike rate in Maharashtra
Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has delivered a remarkable performance in the Maharashtra assembly elections, achieving an 84% strike rate as part of the Mahayuti alliance.
The other allies in the alliance, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP - Ajit Pawar faction) and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, have also performed strongly, recording strike rates of 62% and 71%, respectively.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Devendra Fadnavis, and congratulated him over the performance of the party.
As of 11:58 AM, the BJP is leading in 127 constituencies, while Shiv Sena and the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) are ahead in 56 and 38 seats, respectively.
