Talcum Powder and Product Liability Claims

One could plausibly argue that a person’s life is bookended by the scent of talcum powder.  We associate it most closely with infants and with the elderly.  There is no right or wrong time in your life to apply powders that protect your skin from excessive moisture and the disease-causing microorganisms that thrive on it.  In recent years, though, the evidence has been growing that talcum powder is not as safe for use as a personal care product as we previously thought.  In fact, some plaintiffs have prevailed in lawsuits against manufacturers of talcum powder, where they claimed that the powder caused them to develop cancer.  As a result, the manufacturers of skin care powders have changed the formula; today’s baby powder does not contain talc, as it did a generation ago.  Despite this, we may continue to see new diagnoses of cancer in lifelong users of talcum powder.  If you have received a cancer diagnosis that you believe is connected to commercial talcum powder, contact a Fort Lauderdale defective drugs lawyer.

What Is Product Liability?

In a product liability claim, the plaintiff alleges that the manufacturer of a commercial product engaged in negligence by selling a product that had preventable and undisclosed risks of injury.  These are some common scenarios for product liability lawsuits:

• Patients suffer adverse effects from prescription drugs, when the drug manufacturers did not warn doctors or patients about these risks
• Car parts malfunction and contribute to accidents, despite the car owner keeping up with maintenance on the car
• Toys cause injury when children play with them in the intended manner
• Food products contain allergens not listed on the product label

Product liability lawsuits are similar to other personal injury claims, in that you must prove that the defendant’s product was the cause of your injuries, and your injuries are the cause of the financial losses for which you are seeking compensation.

Justice for Patients Sickened by Talcum Powder

In recent years, patients sickened by commercial talcum powder have filed personal injury lawsuits, including a class action lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson, the manufacturer of a widely available talcum powder brand.  Many of the plaintiffs are women who developed ovarian cancer after applying talcum powder to their genitals or to items that were in contact with their genitals, such as sanitary napkins and undergarments.  Some plaintiffs also developed cancer after accidentally inhaling talcum powder while applying it to their faces.  To further strengthen the plaintiffs’ claims, recent studies have shown that some commercial talcum powder contains dangerously high levels of asbestos, a compound that is so carcinogenic that its industrial use has been under severe restrictions for decades.  Cancer related to asbestos exposure appears decades after the exposure, so you might still be at risk even if the last time you used talcum powder was many years ago.

Set Up a Consultation Today

A defective drugs lawyer can help you pursue a product liability claim related to commercial talcum powder.  Contact Boone & Davis in Fort Lauderdale, Florida or call 954-566-919 to explore your potential recovery options today.

Source:

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6461309/#:~:text=Louis%20City%20jury%20sent%20shock,the%20company’s%20products%20for%20years.