Talc is one of the main ingredients in certain brands of baby powders, makeup, and other personal care products. What many don’t realize is that talc may be contaminated with a carcinogen called asbestos.
Exposure to asbestos in talcum powder has been linked to serious illnesses, including mesothelioma and ovarian cancer. What’s most troubling is that some companies knew about the risk of asbestos contamination for decades but failed to warn consumers.
So far, more than 90,000 talcum powder lawsuits have been filed against companies like Johnson & Johnson — and billions of dollars have been awarded to victims.
Ricky LeBlanc, a talcum powder attorney at Sokolove Law, shares more about the risks associated with asbestos-contaminated talc and how affected families can seek justice and compensation.
Q. Can talcum powder cause cancer?
A. The short answer is yes. Many talcum powders are contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos has been a known carcinogen for decades. There's a clear link between asbestos and talc, especially talcs used for talcum powder.
Both talc and asbestos are naturally occurring minerals. Where there are talc deposits, often intertwined in those deposits are veins of asbestos. When the talc is removed from the earth, the asbestos is also scooped up and put in with the rest of the talc.
It's not that companies want the asbestos in the talc. They just do very little or nothing to remove it.
There is a clear link between asbestos and talc, especially the talc used in talcum powder. Both talc and asbestos are naturally occurring minerals that are often found near one another in the earth.
In many talc deposits, veins of asbestos are intertwined with the talc itself. When talc is mined and removed from the ground, asbestos can be extracted along with it and mixed into the final product.
It’s not necessarily that companies want asbestos in talc. Rather, the issue is that little to no effort is made to fully remove the asbestos during processing, allowing contaminated talc to reach consumers.
Q. Is talcum powder safe?
A. Unfortunately, talcum powder can cause cancer. Most talcum powders contain asbestos. Asbestos has been known as a carcinogen for decades. And so when you have what we would call a contaminated talc because it's not pure, when you have it contaminated with asbestos, the microscopic asbestos fibers can be ingested, meaning swallowed, or they can be inhaled through your nose or mouth into your lungs and deposited in your body.
Because these fibers are so small, they can travel throughout your body. It is why, for years in traditional industrial exposure to asbestos-containing products, we've had individuals who have a disease known as mesothelioma that surrounds the lungs because they breathed it in but also around the stomach, even further down in some instances around the testicles, and further up around the brain.
So clearly, these fibers have been known for decades to travel throughout the body, no matter whether they were ingested or inhaled.
Unfortunately, talcum powder can cause cancer. Many talcum powders have been found to contain asbestos. Asbestos has been a known carcinogen for decades. When talc is contaminated, it is no longer pure talc—it contains asbestos fibers mixed in.
When talc is contaminated with asbestos, the microscopic fibers can be ingested by swallowing or inhaled through the nose or mouth into the lungs, where they can deposit in the body. Because these fibers are so small, they are able to travel throughout the body after exposure.
This is why, for years, people exposed to asbestos-containing products in traditional industrial settings have developed diseases such as mesothelioma. These cancers have appeared around the lungs from inhalation, around the stomach, and in some cases even further down around the testicles or further up near the brain. Clearly, asbestos fibers have been known for decades to move throughout the body, whether they are ingested or inhaled.
Q. Is there any link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer?
A. Studies have shown that there is an increased risk of ovarian cancer when the subject is exposed to talcum powder. In most instances, it's the use of talcum powder around the genitals.
Most often, it's used by women as a feminine hygiene product — that is, they're dousing themselves with talcum powder. It's also used in makeup applications and non-hygiene uses, but the use of talcum powder that's been contaminated with asbestos certainly can travel throughout the body.
Whether that asbestos is causing the ovarian cancer or the ovarian cancer is just triggered by talc itself without contamination is what the scientific community is looking at. And what we have been arguing successfully for years is that talcum powder by itself is likely causing ovarian cancer.
Q. Which talc products contain asbestos?
A. Most commercially available talcum powder products are contaminated with asbestos. The types of products that most people recognize are things such as baby powder, after-shower products, and foot powders. It can also be loose cosmetic powders that come with a puff to apply to the face and other body parts.
In barbershops, talcum powder was used after a shave or haircut. The barber would put it on a brush, oftentimes blow into it, and then they would brush the collar of their client, all the time exposing both their client and the barber to microscopic asbestos fibers in the talc.
There are companies such as Clubmen, which was very famous and still has available products for barbershops. And then most people know the various store brands of baby powder, or the most famous Johnson & Johnson, which made after-shower products like Shower to Shower®.
Companies like Mennen made various body powders along with Desenex and other brands that people used in their shoes.
Q. What companies are involved in the talc powder lawsuit?
A. Many companies are involved in the talc litigation. Lawsuits have been filed against names you know, like Johnson & Johnson, Colgate-Palmolive, and Ding Dong the Avon lady. Any makeup you can have, even fancier brands like Chanel, are also on the list of companies who've been sued.
So if you've had an asbestos-containing talc product and you've been using it, it doesn't matter who the company is — we've probably already made claims against them before. And if not, we'll make one now.
Q. Who is at risk of developing mesothelioma from talcum powder?
A. Unfortunately, anyone who used talcum powder is at risk for developing mesothelioma. As I've noted, many, many talcum powders are contaminated by asbestos. Anyone who used it long-term, generally speaking, is going to be susceptible to developing mesothelioma. That means people who started using it as infants, they didn't use it themselves, but their parents applied it to them, exposing both the infant and the parent.
Generally speaking, the clients we see have also been exposed beyond infancy and throughout their lives. They continue to use the product, whether it be a baby powder or any other type of talcum powder, throughout the rest of their lives.
And some of those people stopped 10 years ago, some are still using it the day they walk into the office.
Q. Who can file a talcum powder claim?
A. A talcum powder lawsuit can be filed by anyone who has been diagnosed with a disease associated with the use of talcum powders and has a history of using such powders.
So, whether that is a mother, a nurse, a barber, or anyone else who just used the powder on a frequent basis, they would have the right to make a claim.
For those people who have succumbed to the disease and are no longer with us, their family may also bring a claim on behalf of the estate of their loved one.
A talcum powder lawsuit can be filed by anyone who has been diagnosed with a disease associated with the use of talcum powder and has a history of using these products. This can include mothers, nurses, barbers, or anyone else who used talcum powder on a frequent basis and may now be facing serious health issues. These individuals may have the right to pursue a legal claim.
For those who have sadly passed away as a result of a talc-related disease, family members may also be able to bring a claim on behalf of their loved one’s estate. These cases are often filed to seek accountability and financial support for the family left behind.
It’s important for anyone considering a claim to understand that there are strict time limits for filing a talcum powder lawsuit. These deadlines vary from state to state and can be very short in some cases, or extend for several years in others. The best way to determine eligibility is to speak with a talcum powder lawyer who can review the applicable statutes and help confirm whether you are still able to file a claim.
Q. How long do I have to file a talcum powder claim?
A. What's important is that anyone who would like to bring a claim, they must understand there are time limits to do so. Those time limits vary from state to state. It can be very short, or it can be more than a few years.
The only way you're going to know is to speak with a talcum powder lawyer who can help you take a look at those statutes and determine whether you still remain eligible.
Q. How much talcum powder compensation could I receive?
A. Talcum powder verdicts have ranges, just like any other case. The specific facts of your case are going to determine its value.
Recently, juries have come back with a $966 Million verdict and a $1.5 Billion verdict, and those represent an attempt to punish the defendants for hiding the fact that they were harming people. It's not just the damage that occurred to that family or to that individual. It's that the jury is trying to send a message: "Don't do this again."
Generally speaking, those verdicts are extraordinary in that they are trying to punish. In some states, you're not allowed to punish, so you just get what the court and the jury feel you deserve for your pain and suffering and for the injury incurred to your family. Those numbers generally range from $600,000 to $1.5 Million.
Talcum powder verdicts can vary widely, just like any other type of case. The specific facts and circumstances of your case will ultimately determine its value. In recent years, there have been verdicts reaching $966 million and even $1.5 billion. These large awards often reflect a jury’s attempt to punish defendants for hiding the fact that their products were causing harm.
In those cases, the verdict is not only about the damage suffered by an individual or family. It is also about sending a clear message to companies that this kind of conduct should not happen again. Generally speaking, these extraordinary verdicts include punitive damages meant to punish wrongdoing.
However, not every state allows punitive damages. In some states, compensation is limited to what the court and jury believe is fair for pain and suffering and the harm suffered by the individual and their family. In those situations, awards typically range from about $600,000 to $1.5 million.
Q. How can a talcum powder lawyer help someone with mesothelioma or ovarian cancer?
A. Unfortunately, talcum powder lawyers cannot remove a diagnosis. We cannot cure diseases.
What we can do for folks with an asbestos-related disease or talcum powder-related disease is try to seek justice for them, provide them with some financial security, peace of mind, and just an acknowledgment that this wasn't their fault and that the companies who caused this are being held accountable.
Q. How do attorneys link talcum powder use to mesothelioma?
A. Exposure to asbestos causes mesothelioma. So, if we can establish you were exposed through regular use of talcum powder, the case can be established. It doesn’t matter if it was 20 years ago.
Your lawyer will work with you to determine what evidence you have. Many people still have bottles, boxes, or cartons of the materials they've always used sitting in their houses that remain unused.
For others, we get an oral history from the injured or from the injured's parents, siblings, or spouse. So testimony is often the easiest and most frequent way that we prove cases.
Q. Did Johnson & Johnson know their talc products contained asbestos?
A. They would tell you no. Records, though, internal memos, and scientific studies established that they were aware of asbestos in their products.
That's why jurors in some jurisdictions have tried to punish Johnson & Johnson, and that’s why you’ll read about large verdicts, like $1.5 Billion for example.
I’m often asked whether Johnson & Johnson knew that their baby powder and other products contained asbestos. They would tell you no. However, records, internal memos, and scientific studies have established that they were aware there was asbestos in their products. That is why jurors in some jurisdictions have tried to punish Johnson & Johnson.
When a company puts a dangerous product into society, that alone can be enough to create liability in many states. You cannot provide a product that causes harm to others and is not safe for its intended purpose.
Recently, there have been decisions with $966 million verdicts and $1.5 billion verdicts. Those verdicts represent the jury’s attempt to punish the defendants for hiding the fact that they were harming people. It’s not just about the damage that occurred to a particular family or individual. It’s about sending a message: don’t do this again.
Q. What is the process of filing a talcum powder lawsuit like?
A. Filing a talcum powder lawsuit is very similar to any other lawsuit you may be more familiar with, like an auto accident or slip and fall claim.
It’s a single case filed by an individual against the manufacturers or suppliers of the talcum powder products they used. It is not a class action, where many people are lumped together and with one person representing all of them. This is your case.
A person with a talcum powder disease will file their case through their lawyer, and it will be prosecuted as one client versus all the defendants who harmed them.
Find a Talcum Powder Lawyer Near You
At Sokolove Law, our talcum powder lawyers can help families in all 50 states take legal action for mesothelioma and ovarian cancer.
As a national asbestos law firm, we have the resources and experience needed to hold companies accountable for failing to warn consumers about the risks of asbestos in talc.
Find out why families choose our talcum powder lawsuit attorneys:
- No upfront costs or hourly fees
- 45+ years of experience
- Over $5.9 Billion for clients with asbestos-related diseases
We’re available 24/7 to answer any questions you may have. Let us put our experience to work for your family.
Call (800) 647-3434 now or fill out our contact form to get started with a free case review.
