The Strategist

Johnson & Johnson to pay $ 55 million to a cancer patient



05/03/2016 - 12:14



US court has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $ 55 million to a woman with ovarian cancer. She states that she suffered from the use of the company's products.



Jose Renato Bergo via vimeo
Jose Renato Bergo via vimeo
In the US, the jury compelled Johnson & Johnson to reimburse $ 55 million to a woman. She claimed that use of the company’s talc caused ovarian cancer. 

The court in Missouri took such a decision after a three-week trial. Before issuing a verdict in favor of Gloria Ristesund, the jurors had deliberated for about a day. In accordance with the court’s decision, the company must pay her $ 5 million in damages, and $ 50 million in punitive damages.

Gloria Ristesund said she used J&J’s powder for decades. According to her lawyers, after the woman had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, she had to remove the uterus. Now the cancer is in remission.

Carol Goodrich, representative of J&J, said that the verdict is contrary to the results of a 30 years-research. The study proves safety of the cosmetic powder, produced by the company. J&J intends to appeal, she said.

The jury in Missouri issued a similar verdict in February 2016. Johnson & Johnson was required to pay $ 72 million to family of a woman who died of ovarian cancer. The jury decided that talc and hygiene products, manufactured by the company, were the factor of development of her fatal illness.

Prior to February, there were about 100 lawsuits in Missouri, and 200 - in the state of New Jersey filed against the company. In all cases, J&J was accused in the fact that its products had contributed to the occurrence of cancer. However, before February, the courts had not handed down a decision requiring the company to pay compensation.

Jacqueline Fox claimed that she had used shower gel and talc ‘Shower to Shower’ for more than 35 years before she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She died in October 2015 aged 62 years.

The jury found that J&J is guilty of fraud, negligence and conspiracy. The trial lasted three weeks. The jury discussed the verdict for four hours.

source: reuters.com