Jackie Fox Was Awarded $72 Million In A Civil Lawsuit On February 26, 2016, By A Jury In St. Louis, MO.

According to the Associated Press, there are more than 1,200 civil suits that have been filed against the company in relation to the talcum-containing products for clients throughout the country.

The family of Jackie Fox was awarded $72 million in a civil lawsuit on February 26, 2016, by a jury in St. Louis, MO.

The court battle against Johnson & Johnson (J&J) was carried on by Marvin Salter on behalf of his late mother who died as a result of ovarian cancer.

The lawsuit was filed by Fox herself which claimed that she had been using the company’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower powder, both of which contained talcum powder.

According to court papers, Fox was diagnosed with cancer in 2013. Last fall, she died at the age of 62 when her ovarian cancer returned. After her death, her son Marvin Salter took over the case. He was finally awarded the damages on Monday when the St. Louis jury found Johnson & Johnson liable for Jackie Fox’s ovarian cancer when used for feminine hygiene purposes promoted by the brand.

Salter talked about the lawsuit saying “Continuing with this trial was indeed painful, but at the end of the day it was what she wanted.” He said that he continued forward with the lawsuit because of her wishes.

A company spokeswoman passed a statement saying, “The verdict goes against decades of sound science proving the safety of talc as a cosmetic ingredient in multiple products, and while we sympathize with the family of the plaintiff, we strongly disagree with the outcome. Ovarian cancer is a complex disease with no known cause and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, National Cancer Institute and Cosmetic Ingredient Review Committee have all concluded that there is insufficient evidence linking talc to ovarian cancer.”

Fox’s attorneys reportedly used a September 1997 internal memo as evidence. The memo was provided by a medical consultant from Johnson & Johnson suggesting a link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer. The consultant mentioned in the memo that anyone who denied the risk between the use of hygienic talc powder and ovarian cancer would be “denying the obvious in the face of all evidence to the contrary.”

The plaintiffs presented studies to show that consistent use of talcum powder for “genital dusting” can increase a woman’s chances of developing ovarian cancer by 30%.

Apart from the memo, there are two published studies that shed light on a possible link between exposure to talcum powder and the risk of ovarian cancer. The first study was conducted in 2010 which looked at a group of 200,000 women, from which 721 cases of ovarian cancer were reported. The second study was based on a group of 11,933 women to find a possible link between the use of talc powder and ovarian cancer. However, both of the studies remained inconclusive about the possible association. They emphasized that there were too many variables to draw a direct association.

Our Talc Mass Tort attorneys will review your medical history to determine whether you may have a case. The manufacturers of J&J Talc may be held liable for all damages associated with the medical events that occurred because of the use Talc powder. We will build a strong case to recover damages on your behalf. Anyone who experienced negative side effects after using J& J Talc powder should take legal action against the manufacturer.

Attorney Sheryl E. Berkowitz

Contact Our Mass Tort Lawyers
(800) 529-6268

Contact Our Mass Tort Attorneys


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