Los Angeles Jury Slams Johnson & Johnson With Record $966m Over Mesothelioma Claims
In what is regarded as the largest mesothelioma damages award to date, a Los Angeles jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to pay $966 million to the family of Mae Moore, who died in 2021 from mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer linked to asbestos exposure.
The plaintiffs alleged that J&J’s talc‑based Baby Powder contained asbestos fibers which directly caused Moore’s illness. The jury awarded $16 million in compensatory damages and an unprecedented $950 million in punitive damages, citing the company’s negligence and failure to adequately warn consumers of the risks.
Mesothelioma, caused exclusively by asbestos exposure, has been at the center of thousands of lawsuits against J&J. Although the company has consistently denied wrongdoing, independent tests over the years have detected asbestos traces in its talc products.
While this verdict is historic, it may be subject to reduction on appeal. Under U.S. Supreme Court precedent, punitive damages are generally capped at nine times the compensatory award, which could reduce the payout to approximately $144 million.
J&J has faced tens of thousands of similar claims, including those linking talc powder to ovarian cancer. The company has attempted unsuccessfully to use bankruptcy restructuring to shield itself from liability. Although J&J discontinued its talc‑based Baby Powder in 2020, replacing it with a cornstarch‑based formula, it continues to maintain that the product was safe.
This ruling represents a significant legal and financial setback for the pharmaceutical giant and underscores the growing risks corporations face when consumer safety concerns intersect with mass tort litigation.
