J&J Said to Pay More Than $2 Million in Rare Talc Accord
- California woman blamed deadly disease on baby powder use
- J&J faces almost 17,000 suits targeting its talc-based powder
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Johnson & Johnson agreed in the middle of a trial to pay more than $2 million to resolve a woman’s claims that asbestos-laced baby powder caused her cancer, according to people familiar with the case. The settlement marks a rare decision by the drugmaker to cut a deal while fighting thousands of similar claims.
Jurors in state court in Oakland, California, heard more than two weeks of testimony before the judge told them Monday that the case had settled. While the terms weren’t made public, people familiar with the accord said plaintiff Linda O’Hagan and her family agreed to J&J’s offer. The people asked not to be identified because they weren’t authorized to comment publicly about the accord.