Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Another Jury Rules Against Johnson & Johnson In Latest Lawsuit Tied To Safety Of Company's Talc-Based Powder
The Associated Press: Jury Recommends $25M In Johnson & Johnson Lawsuit
A California jury delivered a $25.7 million verdict against Johnson & Johnson in a lawsuit brought by a woman who claimed she developed cancer by using the company’s talc-based baby powder. Jurors in Los Angeles recommended $4 million in punitive damages Thursday after finding the company acted with malice, oppression or fraud. A day earlier, the panel called for $21.7 million in compensatory damages for plaintiff Joanne Anderson, who suffers from mesothelioma, a lung cancer linked to asbestos exposure. (Weber, 5/24)
Bloomberg: J&J Jury Asks Judge To Slap Cancer Warning Label On Baby Powder
Jurors weighing how to punish Johnson & Johnson in a lawsuit asked a judge if they could force the company to warn consumers that its Johnson’s Baby Powder could be contaminated with asbestos, according to the law firm that won the case against the health-care giant. After the judge said no, the jury awarded $4 million in punitive damages Thursday to Joanne Anderson, a 68-year-old woman who claimed her deadly cancer was caused by asbestos in J&J’s baby powder. A day earlier the jury had awarded $21.7 million to Anderson, finding J&J 67 percent responsible for her mesothelioma. (Fisk, 5/25)
