Deborah Giannecchini was a loyal Johnson & Johnson customer for forty years. The Modesto, California woman used J&J’s talc-based baby powder as a feminine hygiene product regularly. She thought the product was safe to be used as such. In fact, Johnson & Johnson had promoted multiple talcum powder products to women over the years, including baby powder and the baby powder-based Shower-to-Shower. Deborah Giannecchini is now battling ovarian cancer after being diagnosed in 2012. She was recently awarded $70 million by a jury persuaded that J&J had engaged in negligent conduct in the making and marketing of its products.
What Consumers Did Not Know Can Kill Them
This is the third lawsuit in which the plaintiff has been awarded millions. One of those complaints was made by an ovarian cancer survivor, while in the other suit, it was the family of a victim of ovarian cancer who was awarded damages. In all three cases, the plaintiff’s lawyer laid out a strong case against Johnson & Johnson. The health product company claims there is no credible scientific evidence linking their baby powder products to ovarian cancer. The scientific and public health communities do not seem to agree.
There is evidence going back more than 40 years that shows at least some link between talc-based powders and ovarian cancer. Some case studies indicate that women who regularly use talcum powder on their genital area have a 33% increased risk of ovarian cancer. Another early 1970s study on ovarian tumors found talcum powder embedded deeply in the center of a majority of their specimens. Over a dozen such studies exist, and court documents in the three successful cases have shown Johnson & Johnson knew about the possible link.
Ovarian cancer is a relatively rare cancer, comprising just over 20,000 of the 1.2 million new cancer diagnoses each year. The prognosis is not great: the five-year survival rate for a newly diagnosed victim of ovarian cancer is 46%. With the evidence of a possible risk in their hands, juries are finding J&J had an obligation to inform consumers and failed to do so. The victims believe J&J’s failure to warn them of the risks of using the products constituted negligence, leaving them fighting for their lives against a deadly and complicated disease.
J&J Has a Serious Problem
Johnson & Johnson continues to appeal the cases they have lost. In the meantime, thousands of women have filed suit against them, and there are thousands of other cases being reviewed by lawyers across the country. If you or someone you love was diagnosed with ovarian cancer after regularly using J&J’s products on underwear or the genital area, you may have a potential case against the company.
Ovarian cancer is a terrible disease that robs women of years of their lives, but even those who survive pay a devastating cost, physically, financially, and emotionally. The attorneys at the Lee Steinberg Law Firm may be able to help you recover damages for medical costs, loss of wages, and the pain and suffering you have experienced. Call us today for a completely FREE consultation: 1-800-LEE-FREE.
