$966M Verdict: J&J Concealed Talc Asbestos Risk
An LA jury awarded $966 million to the family of Mae Moore, an 88-year-old who died from mesothelioma after using Johnson & Johnson baby powder daily.
A Los Angeles County jury has awarded $966 million to the family of Mae K. Moore, an 88-year-old California woman who died from mesothelioma after using Johnson & Johnson baby powder for more than seven decades. The October 2025 verdict is among the largest individual talc awards in litigation history.
Update (March 13, 2026): Judge Ruth Ann Kwan struck the $950 million punitive portion on judgment notwithstanding the verdict, finding plaintiffs had not met the clear and convincing evidence standard for malice. The $16 million compensatory award and the jury’s liability finding remain intact. See our March 2026 update.
The Verdict
The jury in Judge Ruth Ann Kwan’s courtroom found that J&J acted with “malice, oppression, or fraud” when it sold talc products it knew contained asbestos. The award breaks down as follows:
| Damages Type | Amount |
|---|---|
| Mae Moore’s pain and suffering | $6 million |
| Three daughters’ loss of companionship | $10 million |
| Punitive damages | $950 million |
| Total | $966 million |
The jury assigned J&J 100% responsibility for Moore’s mesothelioma, rejecting any comparative fault.
Mae Moore’s Story
Moore used Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower daily for personal hygiene from approximately the 1930s until 2021. She applied the products on herself and her children. According to court testimony, dust from the powders routinely covered her and her family during application.
Moore was diagnosed with mesothelioma in December 2020 and died on December 29, 2021. Her three daughters continued the lawsuit as a wrongful death action.
The Evidence
Attorneys from Dean Omar Branham Shirley LLP presented extensive internal documents showing J&J knew about asbestos contamination for decades:
Key exhibits included:
- Battelle Reports (1958-1974): Documented failed attempts to remove asbestos from talc
- 1969 internal memo: Discussed concerns that tremolite in talc products “would cause pulmonary diseases and cancer”
- 1997 memo: Acknowledged that “mesothelioma can be caused by non-occupational exposure” and “may occur after brief or indirect exposure to asbestos”
- 1978 correspondence: A J&J employee allegedly instructed a trade association to “destroy your copy of the table” containing asbestos findings
The plaintiffs also presented evidence that J&J and its testing labs “worked together to manipulate testing results” and reported false negative results to the FDA.
J&J’s Response
Erik Haas, J&J’s Worldwide Vice President of Litigation, called the verdict “egregious and unconstitutional” and accused plaintiffs’ lawyers of relying on “junk science.”
The company announced it would immediately appeal. J&J may argue that the punitive damages exceed constitutional limits. The U.S. Supreme Court has suggested punitive damages exceeding single-digit ratios to compensatory damages may violate due process.
Johnson & Johnson discontinued talc-based baby powder in the U.S. and Canada in 2020 and completed the global transition to a cornstarch alternative in 2023.
Context: 2025 Talc Verdicts
The Moore verdict was part of a devastating year for J&J in talc litigation:
| Date | Verdict | Case |
|---|---|---|
| October 2025 | $966 million | Mae K. Moore (Los Angeles) |
| October 2025 | $20 million | Dr. Alberto Casaretto (Florida) |
| December 2025 | $65.5 million | Anna Jean Carley (Minnesota) |
| December 2025 | $1.56 billion | Cherie Craft (Baltimore) |
Total 2025 mesothelioma verdicts against J&J exceeded $2.5 billion.
What This Means for Talc Claimants
The Moore verdict reinforces that juries continue to find J&J liable when presented with the company’s internal documents. Despite J&J’s assertions that its talc is safe, four separate juries in 2025 returned plaintiff verdicts totaling billions of dollars.
J&J faces approximately 70,000 pending talc lawsuits. The company’s three attempts to resolve the litigation through bankruptcy have all been rejected by federal courts.
References
Daily Journal. Jury awards nearly $1B to family of woman who died from asbestos-linked talc.
https://www.dailyjournal.com/articles/387927-jury-awards-nearly-1b-to-family-of-woman-who-died-from-asbestos-linked-talc
CNN. Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $966 million in talc cancer case.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/08/business/johnson-and-johnson-liable-cancer-case-intl
Reuters. J&J ordered to pay $966 million in talc mesothelioma case.
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/
Reader Q&A
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are the punitive damages so high?
The jury found J&J acted with “malice, oppression, or fraud.” Internal documents showed the company knew about asbestos contamination for decades but continued selling talc products. The $950 million in punitive damages reflects the jury’s view of J&J’s conduct.
What internal documents were presented at trial?
Plaintiffs presented Battelle Reports (1958-1974) documenting failed asbestos removal attempts, a 1969 memo discussing cancer concerns, and 1978 correspondence allegedly instructing a trade group to destroy asbestos findings.
How many talc lawsuits does J&J face?
Approximately 70,000 pending lawsuits. The company has attempted three bankruptcies to resolve claims, all rejected by federal courts. 2025 verdicts alone exceeded $2.5 billion.
Does J&J still sell talc baby powder?
No. J&J discontinued talc-based baby powder in the U.S. and Canada in 2020 and globally by 2023, switching to cornstarch. The company maintains its talc was always safe.
What are the verdicts for mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma verdicts vary widely depending on case circumstances, but trial awards average $20.7 million according to Mealey’s Litigation Report (2024), significantly higher than settlements which typically range from $1 million to $2 million. Recent high-profile verdicts include a $1.5 billion award by a Maryland jury against Johnson & Johnson in 2026 for talc-based baby powder exposure causing peritoneal mesothelioma, and a $51 million verdict upheld in February 2026 against Avon for mesothelioma caused by talc products. Juries may award both compensatory damages (for medical costs, lost income, and pain and suffering) and punitive damages intended to punish corporate negligence and deter future wrongdoing. Only about 5% of mesothelioma lawsuits reach a jury verdict; most resolve through settlement negotiations. Actual compensation depends on factors including exposure history, disease type, treatment costs, and evidence of corporate knowledge or concealment of asbestos risks.
What is the average payout for a mesothelioma settlement?
Average mesothelioma settlements range from $1 million to $1.4 million for people with mesothelioma filing personal injury or wrongful death claims. Trial verdicts average higher, from $2.4 million to $20.7 million, though fewer than 5% of cases reach trial. Asbestos trust fund payouts average $300,000 to $400,000. Actual amounts vary by case factors like exposure history and defendant liability. These figures come from law firm reports on 2026 cases.
Has anyone ever been cured from mesothelioma?
No cure exists for mesothelioma, as confirmed by major medical sources, with treatments focusing on extending survival and managing symptoms. Rare cases report full remission or long-term cancer-free status, such as a Japanese man who remained disease-free for 6 years after low-dose chemotherapy and hyperthermia , pleural mesothelioma survivor Mike Matmuller declared cancer-free post-surgery and chemotherapy , and Mary Jane Williams who lived 14 years in full remission before dying from unrelated causes. Multimodal therapies, including immunotherapy combinations like nivolumab/ipilimumab, have achieved median overall survival up to 20.4 months and objective response rates of 56.4% in trials. Ongoing clinical trials explore experimental options, but no verified cure has emerged.
What famous person died from mesothelioma?
Steve McQueen, a prominent actor known for films like The Great Escape and The Magnificent Seven, died from pleural mesothelioma in 1980 at age 50. His exposure is linked to U.S. Marine service, shipyard work, and possible movie set insulation. Other celebrities who died from mesothelioma include musician Warren Zevon (2003), actor Ed Lauter (2013), and NFL player Merlin Olsen. Paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould survived peritoneal mesothelioma for 20 years before dying from unrelated lung cancer in 2002.