ST. LOUIS —A Missouri jury has awarded $72 million to the family of an Alabama woman who died from ovarian cancer, which she said was caused by using Johnson & Johnson’s well-known baby powder and other products containing talcum.
The civil suit by Jackie Fox of Birmingham was part of a broader claim in the city of St. Louis Circuit Court involving nearly 60 people. Her son took over as plaintiff following his mother’s October 2015 death at 62, more than two years after her diagnosis.
Marvin Salter of Jacksonville, Florida, said his late mother, who was a foster parent, used the iconic talcum powder as a bathroom staple for decades.
“It just became second nature, like brushing your teeth,” he said.
Fox’s attorneys said the jury verdict Monday night was the first such case among more than 1,000 nationally to result in a monetary award.
The jury said that Fox was entitled to $10 million in actual damages and $62 million in punitive damages.
Attorney James Onder said he “absolutely” expects Johnson & Johnson — the world’s biggest maker of health care products — to appeal the verdict.
