Johnson and Johnson has been ordered to pay $72 million to the family of a woman whose death from ovarian cancer was linked to the company's talc-based baby powder.
The civil suit was filed by Jackie Fox of Alabama which was part of a broader claim involving nearly 60 people. She claimed she used Johnson's Baby Powder and Shower to Shower for more than 35 years before she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The lawsuit alleged the health products firm actively covered up studies that suggested a link between ovarian cancer and their baby powder in order to boost sales.
She died in October 2015, following which her foster son, Marvin Salter, took over as plaintiff.
On Monday, a jury in Missouri, US awarded $10mn of actual damages and $62 million of punitive damages to the family of Jackie Fox, her family's lawyers said.
In a statement published by Sky News, Johnson and Johnson has said: 'We have no higher responsibility than the health and safety of consumers and we are disappointed with the outcome of the trial. 'We sympathise with the plaintiff's family but firmly believe the safety of cosmetic talc is supported by decades of scientific evidence.'
Several hundred similar lawsuits have been filed against Johnson and Johnson, but Monday's verdict was the first in the US to award damages over the claims.
