A Suffolk County jury has awarded $8 million to Janice Paluzzi, an 84-year-old Massachusetts woman who developed mesothelioma after using Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder products for more than two decades.
The June 2025 verdict marks another loss for J&J in its ongoing talc litigation, where the company faces over 61,000 lawsuits alleging its Baby Powder and Shower to Shower products contained cancer-causing asbestos.
Verdict Breakdown
The jury awarded Paluzzi:
Paluzzi’s legal team had argued for $25 million in damages. The jury found J&J liable for negligence and determined that a design defect in the company’s talc products significantly contributed to her mesothelioma diagnosis.
The Case
Paluzzi, a mother of seven who raised her children in single-bathroom homes for 20 years, used Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower on herself and her children throughout that time. She was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2021.
At trial, J&J argued that Paluzzi’s cancer more likely stemmed from asbestos exposure through three of her sons, who worked in building services and maintenance at Boston’s John Hancock Building. The jury rejected this defense.
What the jury found: J&J liable for negligence and design defect, but not for inadequate warnings or breach of implied warranty of merchantability.
Pattern of Verdicts
The Paluzzi verdict follows a series of massive talc judgments against J&J:
- $1.56 billion to Cherie Craft (2025)
- $966 million to Mae Moore’s family (2025)
- $42.6 million to the Maricich family, Massachusetts (2025)
- $40 million in California ovarian cancer verdict (2025)
J&J stopped selling talc-based Baby Powder in the United States in 2020, switching to a cornstarch formula. The company discontinued talc-based products globally in 2023.
Legal Representation
Paluzzi was represented by Ben Braly, Anthony Bianco, and Aaron Chapman of Dean Omar Branham Shirley, along with Brian Kenney of Early, Lucarelli, Sweeney & Meisienkothen (ELSM), and Amy Carter of the Carter Law Group.
The case is Janice Paluzzi v. Johnson & Johnson, Civil Action No. 21-2109, Suffolk County Superior Court.
What was the Paluzzi v. Johnson & Johnson verdict?▼
A Suffolk County jury awarded $8 million to Janice Paluzzi in June 2025, finding that J&J’s talc-based products caused her mesothelioma. The verdict included $5 million for past pain and suffering and $3 million for future pain and suffering. The jury found J&J liable for negligence and design defect.
How was Janice Paluzzi exposed to asbestos through talc?▼
Paluzzi used Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower on herself and her seven children for more than 20 years while raising them in single-bathroom homes. Talc mined from deposits near asbestos veins can contain asbestos fibers, and multiple trials have presented evidence that J&J’s talc suppliers mined from contaminated deposits.
What did J&J argue at trial?▼
J&J argued that Paluzzi’s mesothelioma was more likely caused by asbestos exposure through three of her sons, who worked in building services and maintenance at Boston’s John Hancock Building. The jury rejected this defense and found J&J liable for negligence and design defect. However, the jury did not find J&J liable for inadequate warnings or breach of implied warranty.
Who represented Janice Paluzzi?▼
Paluzzi was represented by Ben Braly, Anthony Bianco, and Aaron Chapman of Dean Omar Branham Shirley LLP, along with Brian Kenney of Early, Lucarelli, Sweeney & Meisienkothen (ELSM), and Amy Carter of the Carter Law Group. Her legal team had requested $25 million in damages at trial.