A Massachusetts jury has awarded $42.6 million to the family of Paul Lovell, a Melrose man who developed mesothelioma after decades of using Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based baby powder and Shower to Shower products.
For families like the Lovells, this verdict underscores a growing recognition of talc products’ hidden risks, offering financial support amid profound loss and validating years of anguish from asbestos exposure in everyday consumer products.
The Case
Paul Lovell and his wife Kathryn filed suit in 2021, alleging he inhaled asbestos fibers from J&J’s contaminated talc, which the company concealed for decades without warning consumers. The Suffolk Superior Court jury agreed, finding J&J liable for negligence and failure to disclose known hazards.
Jurors determined that asbestos fragments—not talc itself—triggered Paul’s mesothelioma, a rare cancer almost exclusively linked to asbestos fiber exposure.
Part of a Broader Pattern
This case fits a pattern of significant 2025-2026 verdicts against J&J, spotlighting asbestos contamination in talc mined from deposits where the mineral naturally occurs.
Massachusetts courts delivered earlier wins as well. In June 2025, a Suffolk County jury awarded $8 million to 84-year-old Janice Paluzzi for similar claims involving J&J baby powder. Since summer 2025, Massachusetts alone has seen over $50 million awarded to mesothelioma patients from J&J talc use.
Nationwide, the toll mounts:
- $1.56 billion to Cherie Craft in Baltimore (December 2025)
- $966 million to Mae Moore’s family in California
- $65.5 million to a Minnesota mother with pleural mesothelioma
As of January 2026, more than 67,000 lawsuits remain pending against J&J in the nation’s largest talc multidistrict litigation.
J&J’s Response
J&J has vowed an immediate appeal, maintaining its talc was asbestos-free and safe, and that the product was pulled due to market trends rather than safety concerns.
Appeals could reduce awards, but consistent losses may push settlement discussions. A mediator was appointed for ovarian cancer cases in July 2025.
What This Means for Patients
Patients and families facing mesothelioma diagnoses should consult specialists promptly. Early intervention and access to support resources remain critical regardless of legal outcomes.