Johnson & Johnson and The Talc Lawsuit
Elena Rodriguez
Co-Presenters: Isveiry Rodriguez, Angelica Mendez, Justin Mastriogiacomo, Jack O'Donnell, Dhyan Patel
College: College of Business and Public Management
Major: Global Business
Faculty Research Mentor: Dawn Adams-Harmon
Abstract:
The year was 1886, and three brothers; Robert Wood Johnson, James Wood Johnson, and Edward Mead Johnson decided to created a innovative company in the small town of New Brunswick. Initially they focused on producing sterile surgical dressings and other wound care products. As the years went on, so did the ideas of new creations and innovative products. ThusJohnson & Johnson expanded its product line to include a wide range of healthcare products, becoming a major player in the pharmaceutical and consumer goods industries. Fast forward to present day, the company is known for three main segments, one of mainly being baby care items.As like many other companies, rumors began to circulate regarding one of their products. In 2018, the gossip went from just a rumor, to a jury awarding $4.7 billion to 22 women who claimed that the company’s talc-based products, caused their ovarian cancer. Johnson & Johnson's baby touch talcum powder widely used by mothers to put on babies, turned out to causes cancer in the ovaries since it was related to the asbestos present in talc products. Millions of women began to sue this company for their health problems. But it all started with Michelle Felton who died of mesothelioma. Felton used J&J’s talcum powder for decades