Imerys Talc Will Sell Its Subsidiaries To Settle Talcum Lawsuits

Imerys Talc Will Sell Its Subsidiaries To Settle Talcum Lawsuits

Introduction

Imerys Talc, talc supplier of Johnson & Johnson will sell off its several subsidiaries to pay the settlement amount of thousands of talcum powder lawsuits filed by women nationwide.

Johnson's Baby Powder, one of the most popular products containing talcum powder, is linked to increasing a woman's risk of ovarian cancer if she uses it regularly in the genital area. In a few cases, the cancer tissue was studied using an electron microscope and was found to have talc in it, which supported the claim that the cancer was caused by the body powder and increases the talc-related cancer risk.

According to a press release (PDF) issued by Imerys Talc on May 15, the company will auction Imerys Talc America, Imerys Talc Vermont, and Imerys Talc Canada units to pay the settlement amount that will go to a settlement fund, and it will be used to compensate the consumers who have claimed of developing ovarian cancer or other injuries linked to talc ingredients.

The settlement will release Imerys Talc from the involvement in nearly 20,000 Baby Powder lawsuits and Shower-to-Shower lawsuits throughout the federal court system, but Johnson & Johnson will continue to face the trials over failing to warn the users that its talc-based products may contain asbestos fibers that can cause cancer. Details of the amount of the settlement are not yet known.

All the talcum powder lawsuits are centralized before Judge Freda L. Wolfson in the District of New Jersey, as part of an MDL, or multidistrict litigation for a common outcome.

The defense lawyers for Johnson & Johnson argue that plaintiffs’ expert witness testimony is not sufficiently reliable under the federal Daubert standard to prove that the use of talcum powder causes cancer. However, Judge Wolfson cleared the way for the talc lawsuits to proceed and indicated the experts to provide their opinions to the juries.

If the bellwether trials fail to settle the claims of the plaintiffs against Johnson & Johnson, then all the cases will be sent back to their respective District Courts nationwide for individual trials.