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A panel of jurors in Chicago ordered Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) and its consumer care spinoff Kenvue (NYSE:KVUE) to pay $45M to the family of an Illinois resident who died after developing cancer allegedly caused by the companies’ talcum-based baby powder.
The jury concluded that Kenvue (KVUE) was 70% responsible for the death of Theresa Garcia, whose family accused JNJ and KVUE’s predecessor firm of selling talc-based baby powder, knowing that the product was contaminated with asbestos.
The panel found that J&J (JNJ) and one of its units should be held accountable for the remaining 30% of the verdict, Bloomberg reported, citing court documents. Garcia died in 2020 after developing mesothelioma, a cancer associated with asbestos exposure.
The jury decision delivered late Friday marked the latest legal outcome for J&J (JNJ) as tens of thousands of similar cases work through the U.S. legal system after the company’s previous attempts to settle litigation through two bankruptcies failed.
It has also implicated Kenvue (KVUE) for the first time since the unit’s separation from the healthcare giant last year.
In another talc-related claim involving JNJ, a jury in Florida sided with the company on Thursday, concluding that the company was not responsible for the death of a Sarasota County resident who died from ovarian cancer in 2019.
