Massive California Verdict Expands J&J’s Talc Battlefield
Reuters is reporting that a massive California verdict in a lawsuit alleging Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based products cause cancer has opened a new front in the litigation.
“The $417 million award by California jury to a California resident suggested so-called forum-shopping, in which parties seek to file cases in whichever jurisdictions seem most favorable, may not be the main problem facing J&J as it wrestles with some 4,800 outstanding talc lawsuits,” according to reporter Tina Bellon.
Previous talc cases, all tried in the same state court in St. Louis and involving out-of-state plaintiffs, totaled $307 million.