Colgate-Palmolive Reaches Talcum Powder Settlement in Mesothelioma Lawsuit

Published on November 20, 2017 by Sandy Liebhard

Colgate-Palmolive has agreed to settle a mesothelioma lawsuit involving its Cashmere Bouquet talc-based powder.

According to Bloomberg News, the confidential accord will allow the company to avoid a trial in New Jersey Superior Court.

Pennsylvania resident Carol Schoeniger claims she used Cashmere Bouquet for more than 20 years before being diagnosed with mesothelioma.  She further alleged that the talc-based powder was contaminated with asbestos, which is known to cause the deadly form of cancer.

Colgate-Palmolive is facing around 170 similar talcum powder lawsuits in courts around the country. In 2015, the company was ordered to pay $13 million in a California mesothelioma lawsuit involving Cashmere Bouquet.

Talcum Powder and Ovarian Cancer

Johnson & Johnson has been named a defendant in more than 5,500 talcum powder lawsuits, all of which were filed on behalf of women who allegedly developed ovarian cancer due to the long-term use of Baby Powder and Shower-to-Shower for feminine hygiene purposes.

Women pursuing these lawsuits claim that Johnson & Johnson has long been aware of studies linking genital talc use to an increased risk of ovarian cancer. They further allege that company officials decided against warning the public in order to protect sales of its popular talc-based powders.

Talcum Powder Verdicts

Since early 2015, several talcum powder ovarian cancer plaintiffs have been awarded multi-million-dollar judgments ranging from $55 million to $417 million in cases involving Johnson & Johnson. Recently, however, a judge in California overturned the $417 million verdict because of accusations involving juror misconduct and other issues.

A $72 million verdict awarded to an out-of-state plaintiff in Missouri’s talcum powder litigation was also overturned to comply with new standards set by the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Bristol-Myers Squibb v. Superior Court of California. Those standards require that suits be filed in jurisdictions where defendants are headquartered or where a plaintiff’s injuries are alleged to have occurred.

Earlier this month, a California jury found in Johnson & Johnson favor in a mesothelioma lawsuit involving the company’s talcum powder products