HEALTH RISKS

Jury Awards Record $417M to Woman Who Sued Over Cancer Risks with Baby Powder

Johnson & Johnson is expected to appeal the decision.

A jury ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay a record $417 million to a woman who claimed the talc in the company's baby powder caused her ovarian cancer after she used it regularly for decades for feminine hygiene, the AP reported Monday. This is the largest award the company has had to pay out after losing several lawsuits nationwide regarding its talc powder. Eva Echeverria, who used the powder regularly beginning in the 1950s and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2007, claimed Johnson & Johnson did not properly warn about the potential cancer risk related to the use of talc powder. “Mrs. Echeverria is dying from this ovarian cancer and she said to me all she wanted to do was to help the other women throughout the whole country who have ovarian cancer for using Johnson & Johnson for 20 and 30 years,” said her attorney, Mark Robinson. The company's spokesperson said Johnson & Johnson will appeal the decision.