Rick Wilking/Reuters
Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay $72 million to a family of a woman who died from ovarian cancer, which she claimed was caused by using the brand’s talcum powder and other products. The St. Louis Circuit Court jury ruled in favor of plaintiff Jacqueline Fox, finding that the company failed to warn the public and conspired to hide the truth, according to attorney Jim Onder. Fox’s son became the plaintiff after her death in October, about two and a half years after she was diagnosed. The jury verdict Monday night is the first such case among the more than 1,000 nationally to result in a jury’s monetary award. The jury ruled that Fox was entitled to $10 million in actual damages and $62 million in punitive damages. Johnson & Johnson is expected to appeal the decision and issued a statement that its products are safe.