Johnson & Johnson agrees to pay $5.5B to settle talc lawsuits - Fox Business

What the report says

Fox Business reported that Johnson & Johnson said Monday it has reached a proposed settlement valued at about $5.5 billion to resolve roughly 76,000 lawsuits alleging that its baby powder and other talc products caused ovarian cancer. The company said the agreement is intended to cover nearly all current ovarian cancer claims against it, including cases consolidated in federal court in New Jersey and related state-court litigation.

The settlement is not yet final. According to the report, it must be accepted by 95% of ovarian cancer claimants in state or federal court. J&J expects to pay $3 billion in 2027, with additional payments in 2028, and the total could rise depending on participation. Plaintiffs’ attorney Chris Seeger, who represents about 2,500 talc claimants and helped negotiate the deal, told Reuters the payout could reach $7 billion or more because the agreement does not impose an overall cap and assigns values to qualifying claims.

J&J continues to deny wrongdoing and maintains that plaintiffs have not proved its talc products caused cancer. The company said settling would allow it to end the long-running litigation more efficiently. Fox Business noted that J&J previously resolved most claims alleging asbestos-contaminated talc caused mesothelioma and that it stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the United States in 2020, moving to a cornstarch version.

The agreement follows years of mixed litigation results, including defense wins, reduced verdicts and a major multibillion-dollar verdict involving 22 women. Fox Business reported that the new settlement covers existing claims only and does not resolve any future lawsuits.