Spanish
A Los Angeles court has ordered in its ruling that Johnson & Johnson pay $966 million to the family of a woman who died of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, for using the famous manufacturer's baby talc powder.
Mae Moore passed away in 2021, and her family sued Johnson & Johnson the same year, holding the company responsible for the presence of asbestos fibers in its baby powder that had caused the serious illness.
The jury ruled on Monday that Johnson & Johnson must pay $16 million in compensatory damages and $950 million in punitive damages.
The company could appeal the verdict, as the U.S. Supreme Court established that punitive damages should generally not exceed compensatory damages by more than nine times.
Johnson & Johnson has insisted at all times that its products are safe for use, do not contain asbestos and do not cause cancer. However, it stopped selling baby powder in the U.S. since 2020, switching to a cornstarch product.
