You May be Entitled to Significant Compensation Asbestos-free talc powder. Johnson & Johnson powders were proven to contain asbestos (a cancer causing agent) and the company failed to notify users of the cancer risk. $2 BILLION has already been awarded to claims. Free To File! No Fees Unless A Settlement Is Awarded!
J&J’s proposed settlement with talc would make payments of 400 million dollars to US state AGs. Asbestos-Free Talc Powder .
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) has put the amount of $400 million for resolving U.S. state consumer protection actions as part of a broad $8.9 billion settlement of allegations that its Baby Powder and other talc products cause cancer. Asbestos-free talc powder.
J&J company subsidiary LTL Management filed a bankruptcy plan in New Jersey late on Monday that describes how the company will pay various types of cancer sufferers in the bankruptcy settlement. Asbestos-free talc powder. J&J has declared that its products containing talc are safe and do not cause cancer. It’s trying for an additional time to conclude more than 38,000 cases in bankruptcy, as well as prevent new lawsuits from being filed in the near future.
LTL’s bankruptcy plan will pay $400 million to an additional trust to settle claims made from state attorney generals claiming that J&J had violated laws against unfair business practices in the State of New York and consumer protection laws through misleading consumers regarding the quality of its talc products.
A number of states had already initiated consumer protection lawsuits against J&J prior to LTL’s bankruptcy filing prevented those investigations from progressing in 2021. Asbestos-free talc powder. New Mexico and Mississippi had already brought lawsuits in the past against Johnson & Johnson before then and states like Arizona, Maryland, North Carolina, Texas and Washington had issued subpoenas or civil investigative demands, according to LTL’s court filings.
New Mexico and Mississippi have moved to dismiss LTL’s bankruptcy in a joint move with cancer victims as well as those affected by cancer and the U.S. Justice Department’s bankruptcy watchdog. have argued that a successful company like J&J can’t benefit from bankruptcy protections meant for the struggling debtors.
The first attempt by LTL to resolve the bankruptcy-related lawsuits was dismissed following similar arguments. The U.S. appellate court decided it was not LTL did not have “financial distress” and was not eligible for bankruptcy protection. Asbestos-free talc powder. LTL declared bankruptcy a second time less than two hours after the dismissal, saying that its second attempt was different as it was able to borrow less and more support for a settlement.
New Mexico and Mississippi said in their motion to dismiss that LTL’s new bankruptcy violates the law enforcement powers of the state by trying to unilaterally cap the liability of the company in state consumer protection measures.
Asbestos-Free Talc Powder
LTL’s recent filings also provided more details on how the company would assess and pay for cancer claims when the bankruptcy plan is approved.
The most significant payments under the settlement will be $500,000 to those diagnosed with mesothelioma that is terminal before age 45 and $260,000 for people diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer before age 45.
The proposed settlement will offer discounts based on the nature and severity of cancer, the individual’s age, the history of talc use and other factors. Asbestos-free talc powder. For instance, a woman who used talc products on a weekly basis, who had an ovarian cancer family history, cancer and was diagnosed the stage 2 ovarian cancer by age 55 might qualify to receive a payout of $21,125 under the settlement plan.
Judge orders J&J and talc oppositionists to take part in settlement talks.
Following another round of hearings in Johnson & Johnson’s effort to use a Texas Two-Step bankruptcy strategy to settle talc lawsuits, federal bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan has ordered the company and those opposed to the strategy to engage in negotiations to settle the matter, Bloomberg reports.
With its second bankruptcy bid for LTL Management, a subsidiary created by J&J to settle claims – the company offered a settlement amounting to $8.9 billion. Asbestos-free talc powder. While one group of law firms representing plaintiffs support the settlement, a different group is against the settlement.
This week, the opposition group, dubbed”The Official Committee of Talc Claimants, urged the bankruptcy court to dismiss the case asserting that LTL is not a factor in financial distress.
“The filing is a desperate and legally ineffective attempt by a small number of law firms to try to stop claimants from deciding on the resolution plan, a plan that the overwhelming majority of claimants support,” J&J’s litigation chief Erik Haas, said in an announcement. Asbestos-free talc powder. “The law firms involved in this filing have financial interests that do not align with, diverge from, and oppose the interests they represent. We’ll soon submit an answer in the appeals court.”
Asbestos-free talc powder. Clay Thompson, a lawyer for MRHFM which includes more than mesothelioma patients who have sued J&J, said that the second bankruptcy attempt of J&J failed.
“J&J sends out press releases about how great the plan is but simultaneously insisting that the plan’s details, including what individual sick people would actually receive–be kept secret,” Thompson said in a statement. “What do they have to conceal?”
Kaplan has directed the parties to create a strategy for reorganization, under the supervision by two mediators.
In February 2022, Kaplan confirmed J&J’s use of Chapter 11 to hasten a settlement that would free the company from the thousands of lawsuits related to its talcum-based products.
In January of this year, a federal appeals court ruled against the decision, deciding that the business could not be considered to be in “financial difficulty.”
After J&J’s make an appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court was turned down in April, J&J was granted a second petition for bankruptcy just two hours later. In response to that move, Kaplan froze the lawsuits for 60 days in order to determine whether to allow the second bankruptcy.
J&J’s unstoppable profit engine sputters after $6.9B cost of litigation involving talc.
With two Chapter 11 attempts, J&J has gotten 19 months of which cases were put held. Asbestos-free talc powder. The company would like claimants to take a vote to accept their settlement. J&J will require 75% approval for the settlement to be approved.
Alongside the group of talc lawyers who criticised the company’s bankruptcy play and the U.S. Trustee is an arm of the U.S. Department of Justice has also filed an appeal to dismiss LTL’s second bankruptcy.
In a filing this week, U.S. trustee Andrew R. Vara wrote that the doors of bankruptcy are “open to honest but unfortunate debtors.” These doors “are not open to any parties that do not have a legitimate goal or who seek to abuse the bankruptcy process to delay or hinder their creditors.” Vara continued.
For its part, J&J maintains there is no conclusive evidence that its Talc products, which includes its iconic baby powder, can cause cancer. J&J has taken its products off of the market first in North America in 2020–and the rest of the world later this year.
J&J is determined to stay clear of the cost of going to trial. The company has won most of the cases decided through trial, though some losses have been punitive.
A highly publicized trial in Missouri led to an $4.7 billion verdict against the drug company that was later reduced to $2.1 billion after appeals.
Johnson & Johnson faces high-stakes hearing over ‘Texas Two Step’ talc strategy: report
Overall, J&J has lost nine talc trials that are either on appeal or have been decided. Out of 41 trials, 32 have ended in a win by J&J, a mistrial or plaintiff verdicts that were overturned after appeal. Asbestos-free talc powder. In addition, J&J has announced plans to settle over 1,000 cases for $100 million, Bloomberg published at the time.
Talcum Baby Powder Ovarian Cancer Lawsuit – Asbestos-Free Talc Powder
Our lawyers are handling baby powder cases in every state. The lawsuits involving talcum powder in the case of Johnson & Johnson have been ongoing for many years. Asbestos-free talc powder. The lawsuits assert that long-term use of talcum powder (or “talc”), the active ingredient in products like baby Powder along with Shower to Shower which can cause cancer of the ovary in certain women.
This page provides a J&J update on the talc power litigation and examines how the coming bankruptcy ruling affects the final settlement amount in the ovarian cancer lawsuits.
Is the deadline for you to bring a talcum lawsuit? Many people who think the deadline has passed to file a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson are wrong. Call us today at 800-553-8082 or request a free and quick review of your case online.
Johnson and Johnson Talcum Powder Lawsuit Update 2023 – Asbestos-Free Talc Powder
June 2 2023 Update: In the asbestos talc trial that took place in California yesterday, some technical issues interrupted the opening statements of the defense attorneys. Asbestos-free talc powder. Jurors who were watching at home via Zoom however, heard Johnson &Johnson’s lawyer express skepticism about the 70s science asserting the presence of asbestos in their product, but the trial was abruptly closed.
Meanwhile, the plaintiff was able to present its first expert witness Arthur Langer. Langer said that the presence of additional minerals along with talc is expected. He claimed that his group informed J&J in 1971 about the presence of chrysotile asbestos in the company’s talc, albeit in less than 0.1 percent. He also discovered more asbestos in the year 1976.
June 1, 2023 Update: Asbestos-free talc powder. This is the first court trial that has taken place since J&J has decided to separate its Talc section and declaring bankruptcy is a pivotal moment for the ongoing lawsuit saga. Trial started on Monday in the tragic case of a young, 24-year-old plaintiff, diagnosed with an extremely rare and aggressive form of mesothelioma in the past year, an illness that lawyers on both sides acknowledge is a grave tragedy.
Opening statements revealed the sharp differences in the two sides’ story. The plaintiff’s attorney took aim towards Johnson & Johnson, alleging the use of deceptive techniques in its research practices and throughout the litigation process. According to the attorney the company tried to manipulate the definition of asbestos in spite of internal documents dating from 1978 and 1994 showing that asbestos fibers found in tissue of the plaintiffs are included.
Johnson & Johnson’s uncertain $8.9 billion settlement offer hangs in the balance as we development of the trial. Despite the particularity of this mesothelioma-related case and its unique challenges compared to most talcum powder lawsuits A verdict in favor of the plaintiff could be an unintended setback to Johnson & J’s hopes of broad acceptance of the settlement they have proposed among plaintiffs.
May 31, 2023: Update from Johnson & Johnson’s bankrupt talc business vigorously defended it’s Second Chapter 11 filing in the face of challenges from the talc injury plaintiffs. In an appeal to the New Jersey bankruptcy court, the company argued that the filing was fundamentally different from the earlier filing. It highlighted the extraordinary commitment of $8.9 billion in settlement from J&J, the largest settlement ever made in any bankruptcy case that involves mass tort. Asbestos-free talc powder. It was not mentioned how the magnitude of the settlement means it is an equitable settlement. J&J also claimed that it received support from numerous plaintiffs’ law firms representing over 600,00 claimants. This is not easy to confirm however it is likely to be incorrect.
May 24 2023 Update: Following Johnson and Johnson’s bankruptcy filing in 2021 filing, the first trial involving its cosmetic talc items allegedly comprised of asbestos is set to start jury selection on Monday, California at Alameda County Superior Court, the most favored location for plaintiffs. The plaintiff claims that his mesothelioma is the result of asbestos exposure through J&J’s products and the company is denying. The trial also includes six retailers accused of selling talc-containing products.
May 22, 2023 Update: Lawyers involved in the second J&J Talc bankruptcy are in a dispute over who should be chosen to fill the post of the future claims representative, an important role important to resolving the talc claims. Asbestos-free talc powder. Randi Ellis, a lawyer who is frequently involved in MDLs throughout the United States was appointed as the claims representative in the previous bankruptcy. J&J’s defense attorneys want Ellis to be appointed in that position in the future, however lawyers representing the talc plaintiffs are protesting due to the fact that Ellis has an interest conflict which would prohibit her from holding that position for the second time. The dispute stems from reality that Ellis was involved in the drafting of the highly contested second bankruptcy, which raises concerns about her capability to remain neutral. However, the reality is that the bankruptcy will be dismissed regardless.
May 17, 2023 Update The pretend company that J&J created to handle the bankruptcy of talc has informed an New Jersey bankruptcy court that they have allocated $400 million to settle the claims of states that accuse the company of misleading advertising regarding its talc products. Asbestos-free talc powder. It’s a $8.5 billion settlement for cancer sufferers. It is hard to imagine an eventuality where J&J can get the baby powder settlements in these figures. While J&J’s proposed $8.5 billion offer may seem like a lot at first, it does not look great when you do the math. The settlement plan based on our rough calculations – would not offer victims anything more than a median settlement of $100,000 per instance. That is not enough.
May 15 2023, Update J&J may be in the middle of a lawsuit from an advocacy group that represents cancer victims. Asbestos-free talc powder. The group claims J&J deliberately retracted a $61.5 billion contract for funding together with its parent company, LTL Management LLC, to create the appearance of financial hardship and confirm the unit’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The group claims this decision is a fraud transfer of right to compensation for victims. They plan to explore J&J’s actions as a result of the decision to dismiss LTL’s first bankruptcy suit.
May 10, 2023 Update: Next week, next week, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New Jersey will hear oral arguments regarding a motion to reject the second bankruptcy filing of J&J company LTL Management. However, in the meantime, this bankruptcy court has issued an Order requiring both sides to take part in a new settlement mediation in the hope that the global settlement can be reached.
May 5, 2023: Update on Talc producer Whittaker, Clark & Daniels filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to many lawsuits claiming that its talc products caused cancer through asbestos exposure. Asbestos-free talc powder. Over 2,700 individuals have sued the company and it is paying $1 million per month on legal defense. The company’s latest $29 million settlement that was handed down in South Carolina forced it to pursue bankruptcy protection, and arguing for a fair distribution of assets between talc claimants rather than being taken in the hands of the receiver. Other talc suppliers have also filed for bankruptcy due to the litigation.
May 4, 2023 update: U.S. bankruptcy judge Michael Kaplan has directed Johnson & Johnson to relaunch negotiations with lawyers who have rejected the company’s proposed $8.9 billion settlement offer. At Trenton, New Jersey yesterday, the parties appeared in court to discuss next steps to take in another bankruptcy proceeding and Judge Kaplan was pushing for more settlement discussions.
This is the answer to settle these claims with J&J. A baby powder settlement could get done. Asbestos-free talc powder. But it’ll need more money – billions of dollars from Johnson & Johnson.
Lawyers are divided over whether to accept the proposal and not every client views the issue the same way their lawyer sees it. Second bankruptcy cases are likely to be a failure the judge Kaplan has set a date for a hearing in June to determine whether to close the case for the third time.
May 3, 2023 Update The group of cancer victims who are suing Johnson & Johnson (J&J) requested for the Third Circuit halt the bankruptcy filed by J&J subsidiary LTL Management, claiming it is an attempt to derail litigation regarding talc-related products. The group representing the claimants made a motion Tuesday, asking to the Third Circuit to consider their case and to send it back the lower court with instructions to discharge the bankruptcy. Asbestos-free talc powder. The committee also requested that the lawsuit against the halted torts of J&J should be permitted to continue.
LTL has filed for Chapter 11 protection once again following the bankruptcy filing it made earlier was denied by the Third Circuit earlier this year which offered an $8.9 billion payment. The committee says that the recent ruling allowing LTL’s second Chapter 11 to continue, while also halting trials against J&J is a reason for immediate Third Circuit review. The US Trustee requested the New Jersey bankruptcy court dismiss the LTL bankruptcy case. J&J’s vice president for global litigation, Erik Haas, was quoted by Bloomberg saying that J&J plans to file a response in the appeals court calling the request a “desperate and legally deficient effort” by a few of law firms that have conflicts of financial interests.
May 1st 2023 Update: A question people keep asking is how could the plaintiffs’ lawyers and their clients turn down $8.9 billion. Of course, that is an immense amount of money. But there are plenty of victims. Asbestos-free talc powder. And these are really good claims for plaintiffs. We were reminded of this last week when two talc cases resulted in big verdicts for the plaintiffs. In February mesothelioma, a talcum-based powder trial in Oregon led to the verdict of $18.1 million. The following month, a second mesothelioma trial involving talc was held for the court on the other side of South Carolina and resulted in an award of $29 million on behalf of the plaintiff. Both cases were defended by Whittaker, Clark & Daniels Inc. one of the leading suppliers of talc within the U.S.
April 30 2023 Update: When J&J initially attempted to pull the talcum powder lawsuit into bankruptcy, it came with an offer to set aside $2 billion for settlements. It was a ridiculously small amount. The talc plaintiffs had not agreed with the proposal. This time, however, J&J has increased the offer to $8.9 in the event that the talc victims will allow a bankruptcy settlement and also has the support of a large segment of the talc plaintiffs as well as their lawyers. Asbestos-free talc powder. But with 75% of talc plaintiffs, which is required to approve bankruptcy plans, it a tough road because of the number of lawyers who have vast collections of baby powder lawsuits that are opposed to the settlement.
What is the solution to this impasse? More billions.
April 25, 2023 update: Talc plaintiffs have demanded a judge disqualify their Chapter 11 case filed by LTL Management LLC, a absurdly made-up Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, which claims that the business is not financially troubled. LTL filed for Chapter 11 to settle tens of thousands of claims that J&J’s baby-powders caused cancer. Asbestos-free talc powder. In the end, however, the 3rd Circuit dismissed its first Chapter 11 case in January and said that the company was not eligible for bankruptcy relief because it had not demonstrated financial difficulties.
The plaintiffs argue that the 2nd Chapter 11 case is an abuse of the bankruptcy system and it is being pursued in bad good faith. J&J states that the bankruptcy settlement is backed by “significant backing” from firms representing around 60,000 plaintiffs. It’s fair to say that the plaintiffs’ attorneys and victims ‘ lawyers are divided on the $8.9 billion settlement offer.
April 21, 2023 Update: A bankruptcy judge has decided in favor of Johnson & Johnson must face new lawsuits alleging that the company offered a baby powder with a contaminant that caused cancer. Although trials for the talc lawsuits have been suspended for a minimum of 60 days and new lawsuits are able to be filed, and lawyers are able to begin preparing their cases. Asbestos-free talc powder. The judge expressed skepticism over J&J’s ridiculous effort to relaunch its strategy in a second bankruptcy case.
April 13 2023: Update on the most important news is the $8.9 billion over the next 25 years offer for settlement. Lawyers representing cancer patients within the MDL Class Action have promised to fight the settlement alongside those who claim talc. Why? They believe it’s not enough for more than 70,000 cancer victims. Asbestos-free talc powder. These lawyers argue that J&J should negotiate a bigger settlement or even litigate individual claims in the event that the latest bankruptcy is declared unconstitutional.
But there’s a separate group of lawyers that is not part of the leadership of this class action. These lawyers have collectively amassed the equivalent of tens of thousands of lawsuits. The group is seeking to settle today for what many argue is less than the victims deserve. Their argument is twofold. First, they argue the settlement – which amounts to an average of $100,000 per plaintiff – is fair.
It’s a difficult argument to make. But their second argument has more substance: the victims will be no longer patient and demand the money immediately.
April 12 2023 Update: People are wondering if J&J can file for bankruptcy again. The answer is complex and complicated. However, let’s attempt to explain it in simple terms.
Johnson & Johnson asserts that bankruptcy is the only option to settle both present and future lawsuits involving talc conclusively. It believes it can pay less when there is an element of bankruptcy that puts pressure to negotiate a settlement. Asbestos-free talc powder. Driving past 400 years of American time, the business argues that bankruptcy benefits all parties as it distributes settlements more fairly and efficiently than trial courts, where litigants are awarded significant settlements while others get nothing.
The gist of this 3rd Circuit decision was this is not a case of one that makes a profit, but subsidiaries to meet the legal risk and declare bankruptcy – something Congress had in mind when it came to drafting the Bankruptcy Code. It also clarified that the entity was in financial distress due to the fact that J&J offered unlimited financing.
So J&J decided to go with the unlimited funding aspect of the deal and didn’t promise to offer unlimited funding for cases. The company claims that new financing agreements with its subsidiary address the concerns of the appeals court while offering funds to pay claims. In the hope that offering victims less money would solve the overarching problem.
Lawyers representing cancer patients who oppose the deal counter this argument by saying that it is the legal argument. Asbestos-free talc powder. They counter with legal absurdity: J&J fraudulently transferred $50 billion in assets away from LTL Management to circumvent the appeals court’s ruling. The hyperbole wasn’t spared: victims’ lawyers call it the biggest “fraudulent transfer of assets in United States history.”
Despite all the legal jargon, J&J does not really think this bankruptcy will survive. But it is a way of trying to push this $8.9 billion settlement to keep pressure on plaintiffs.
April 10, 2023, Update Bloomberg has an interesting piece on a law that has been passed that has been passed in New Jersey that is shedding new light on litigation funding in the class action lawsuit. The funders who fund litigation Virage Capital Management and TRGP Capital invested in hundreds of claims from Johnson & Johnson (J&J) regarding talc products, in exchange for a portion of any profits. J&J has now offered to pay $8.9 billion to settle all lawsuits.
The involvement of the funders is made public because of the New Jersey court rule requiring the disclosure of certain information about outside funding backers. The rules aim to address the rising calls for regulation of the litigation funders. J&J faces over 60,000 claims when you include federal and state baby powder lawsuits. Third-party funding for mass tort lawsuits is not without its pros and cons. However, there is no doubt that we are seeing how third-party funding can level the playing field for individuals as well as large corporations in court.
April 4 2023 Update: It’s fun to watch the worm turning in this legal battle. J&J was hit again this week, when an appeals court in the Third Circuit denied J&J’s request to keep the automatic stay in place during the time that J&J appeals a bankruptcy decision in the U.S. Supreme Court. Automatic stays have frozen the cases of talcum powder in a number of years and stopped new lawsuits from being filed ever since J&J started the controversial process to spin the talc liabilities into a bankrupt subsidiary over one year back. Asbestos-free talc powder. After the 3rd Circuit ruled that this bankruptcy was insufficient just a few months ago the stay was lifted. J&J was hoping to have it stayed in place until an appeal to the SCOTUS appeal. The answer was no.
April 1, 2023 Update: Johnson & Johnson announced it will appeal its 3rd Circuit bankruptcy loss to the U.S. Supreme Court last week. There is a chance that is that the Supreme Court is willing even to take up the appeal? Low.
March 16th 2023 Update: with the bankruptcy stay now officially lifted, the very first new cases have been filed and transferred into the talcum powder class action MDL in just over a year. Seven new talc lawsuits were included in the MDL in the past month, bringing the total number of cases in the pending process up to 37,522.
February 25 2023 Update 2023 Update: A Congressmen from Tennessee is now demanding that the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) launch an investigation into the amount J&J product containing talc has cost the government over the many years.
Recently, in an open letter to the GAO, Rep. Steven Cohen (D-Ten.) claimed that J&J of failing to recognize the dangers of its talc product for long while tax dollars used to treat those who were injured through exposure to the products. This lawsuit comes a few weeks following J&J’s dramatic loss in the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals.
Asbestos-free talc powder. J&J should begin to make reasonable settlement proposals to victims to to put all of this behind it. It is a stain on one of the top businesses.
February 14 2023 Update: At a hearing today in New Jersey, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan announced his intention in light of the third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling to dismiss the bankruptcy case.
You May be Entitled to Significant Compensation Asbestos-free talc powder. Johnson & Johnson powders were proven to contain asbestos (a cancer causing agent) and the company failed to notify users of the cancer risk. $2 BILLION has already been awarded to claims. Free To File! No Fees Unless A Settlement Is Awarded!