Juries have returned verdicts against Johnson & Johnson and related defendants in talcum powder cancer cases since 2013. Awards have ranged from a liability-only finding with no damages to a $4.69 billion multi-plaintiff verdict in Missouri. Several of the largest awards have since been reversed, vacated, or reduced on appeal, and the tracker below reflects each case’s current post-appeal status rather than the headline jury figure alone.
This page tracks significant talcum powder verdicts, organized chronologically. Cases cover both ovarian cancer and mesothelioma, both of which are part of the broader talc litigation.
2026 Verdicts
$250,000 (February 2026, Philadelphia)
A Philadelphia jury awarded $250,000 ($50,000 compensatory, $200,000 punitive) to the estate of Gayle Emerson, who used Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder for more than 45 years before dying of ovarian cancer in 2019. The case was tried in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas under the mass-tort coordination program formed in June 2025 under Administrative Judge Daniel Anders. It is the first bellwether outcome in the Philadelphia talc docket. This coordination is a mass-tort program, not a formal multi-district litigation.
$24.6 Million (February 2026, Los Angeles)
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge entered a $24.6 million default judgment against Martin Himmel Inc., which owned the Gold Bond brand from 1990 to 1996, in a talc mesothelioma case brought by Stephen Anderson. The default followed Martin Himmel’s counsel withdrawing in October 2025 and the company failing to retain replacement counsel. Judge Bruce G. Iwasaki entered judgment for $4.63 million in economic damages and $20 million in non-economic damages. Related coverage: Gold Bond talc mesothelioma default judgment.
2025 Verdicts
$1.56 Billion (December 2025, Baltimore)
A Baltimore jury awarded $1.56 billion to Cherie A. Craft, who developed peritoneal mesothelioma after decades of talcum powder use. The award was comprised of $59.84 million in compensatory damages, $1 billion in punitive damages against J&J, and $500 million in punitive damages against Pecos River Talc, a J&J subsidiary. The case alleged that the talc products were contaminated with asbestos. J&J announced on December 23, 2025 that it would appeal, calling the verdict “egregious” and “patently unconstitutional.” No post-trial ruling has been reported.
$40 Million (December 2025, Los Angeles)
A Los Angeles County Superior Court jury awarded $40 million to Monica Kent and Deborah Schultz, with a loss-of-consortium award to Albert Schultz, in a California JCCP (Judicial Council Coordinated Proceedings) bellwether trial. The award broke down to $18 million for Kent, $13.5 million for Schultz, and $8.5 million for loss of consortium. The trial was a state-court coordination bellwether, not a federal MDL 2738 bellwether. As of April 2026, no federal MDL 2738 bellwether has returned a plaintiff verdict.
$966 Million Jury Verdict, Reduced to $16 Million on JNOV (October 2025, Los Angeles)
A Los Angeles County Superior Court jury awarded the estate of Mae Moore $966 million ($16 million compensatory, $950 million punitive) in a talc mesothelioma case against Johnson & Johnson. On March 13, 2026, Judge Ruth Ann Kwan granted J&J’s motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict and vacated the $950 million punitive award, finding that the plaintiffs had not proven malice by clear and convincing evidence. The $16 million compensatory award remains standing, subject to any further appeal.
$42.68 Million (July 2025, Massachusetts)
A Suffolk County Superior Court jury in Boston awarded $42.68 million on July 30, 2025 in a talc mesothelioma case brought by Paul Lovell and Kathryn Lovell against Johnson & Johnson. The award included $24 million in pain and suffering and $2.6 million in medical expenses for Paul Lovell and $16 million in loss of consortium for Kathryn Lovell. J&J has signaled an appeal; no ruling has been reported.
2020 Verdict
New Jersey Consolidated Trial, Barden and Co-Plaintiffs
A consolidated four-plaintiff talc mesothelioma trial in New Jersey Superior Court, Middlesex County (Barden, Etheridge, McNeill, Ronning) produced a $37.3 million compensatory verdict in September 2019 and a $750 million punitive verdict on February 6, 2020. The punitive award was reduced under New Jersey’s 5x statutory punitive cap. On October 3, 2023, the New Jersey Appellate Division (docket A-0047-20 through A-0050-20) reversed the consolidated judgment. The case is no longer a final enforceable plaintiff verdict.
2018 Verdict
$4.69 Billion Jury Verdict, Reduced to $2.12 Billion (July 2018, St. Louis)
A St. Louis jury awarded $4.69 billion on July 12, 2018 to 22 women and their families (lead plaintiff Gail Ingham) who alleged that decades of genital talc use caused their ovarian cancer. The jury found that J&J acted with actual malice by failing to warn about known risk.
The original verdict consisted of:
- $550 million in compensatory damages (approximately $25 million per plaintiff)
- $4.14 billion in punitive damages
On June 23, 2020, the Missouri Court of Appeals (Eastern District) reduced the verdict to approximately $2.12 billion: $500 million in compensatory damages for 20 plaintiffs, $900 million in punitive damages against JJCI, and $715.9 million in punitive damages against J&J. Two plaintiffs were dismissed on personal-jurisdiction grounds following BMS v. Superior Court. The Missouri Supreme Court denied review on November 3, 2020, and the U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari on June 1, 2021. As of April 2026, this is the largest talc verdict affirmed on appeal.
2017 Verdicts
$417 Million Verdict Set Aside (August 2017, Los Angeles)
Eva Echeverria was awarded $417 million by a Los Angeles County Superior Court jury on August 21, 2017. The trial court (Judge Maren E. Nelson) granted judgment notwithstanding the verdict in favor of Johnson & Johnson parent on liability and ordered a new trial as to JJCI on evidentiary and causation grounds. The California Court of Appeal, Second District, affirmed in 2019 (B286283). No retrial occurred. Echeverria died in 2017 before final judgment.
$110 Million (May 2017, St. Louis)
A St. Louis jury awarded $110.5 million ($5.4 million compensatory, $105 million punitive) to Lois Slemp, a Virginia resident, on May 4, 2017. Slemp was a non-Missouri resident. Following BMS v. Superior Court (June 2017) and the vacation of the similarly-situated Fox verdict, final disposition of Slemp has not been independently confirmed in available secondary sources. The verdict should not be treated as standing without appellate documentation.
$70.075 Million (October 2016, St. Louis)
A St. Louis jury awarded $70.075 million to Deborah Giannecchini on October 27, 2016 (approximately $2.575 million compensatory, $65 million punitive against J&J, and $2.5 million punitive against Imerys Talc America). Like Fox and Slemp, Giannecchini was a non-Missouri resident. J&J filed an appeal; final disposition has not been independently confirmed. Under the BMS v. Superior Court and Fox pattern, this verdict is vulnerable.
2016 Verdicts
$72 Million Verdict Vacated (February 2016, St. Louis)
A St. Louis jury awarded the estate of Jacqueline Fox $72 million ($10 million compensatory, $62 million punitive) on February 22, 2016. Fox was an Alabama resident who used J&J Baby Powder for roughly 35 years before a 2013 ovarian cancer diagnosis; she died in 2015. In October 2017, the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, vacated the verdict on personal-jurisdiction grounds following BMS v. Superior Court. The verdict does not exist as an enforceable judgment.
$55 Million Verdict Reversed (May 2016, St. Louis)
A St. Louis jury awarded $55 million ($5 million compensatory, $50 million punitive) to Gloria Ristesund on May 2, 2016. Ristesund was a South Dakota resident. In June 2018, the Missouri Court of Appeals reversed the verdict on personal-jurisdiction grounds following BMS v. Superior Court.
2013: The First Plaintiff Win
Deane Berg (October 2013, South Dakota)
The first plaintiff to win a talcum powder ovarian cancer case was Deane Berg in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota (case 4:2009-cv-04179, Judge Karen E. Schreier). This was a federal, not state, case. The jury found liability but awarded no damages, making it a symbolic victory that established a precedent for later filings.
Complete Verdict Timeline (with Post-Appeal Status)
| Date | Jury Award | Plaintiff | Cancer | Location | Current Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2026 | $250,000 | Estate of Gayle Emerson | Ovarian | Philadelphia, PA | Standing |
| Feb 2026 | $24.6M | Stephen Anderson | Mesothelioma | Los Angeles, CA | Standing (default) |
| Dec 2025 | $1.56B | Cherie A. Craft | Mesothelioma | Baltimore, MD | Standing, appeal pending |
| Dec 2025 | $40M | Kent and Schultz | Ovarian | Los Angeles, CA | Standing (CA JCCP state bellwether) |
| Oct 2025 | $966M | Estate of Mae Moore | Mesothelioma | Los Angeles, CA | Punitive $950M vacated; $16M compensatory standing |
| Jul 2025 | $42.68M | Paul and Kathryn Lovell | Mesothelioma | Boston, MA | Standing |
| Feb 2020 | $750M punitive / $37.3M compensatory | Barden et al. (4 plaintiffs) | Mesothelioma | New Brunswick, NJ | Reversed on appeal (NJ Appellate Division, Oct 2023) |
| Jul 2018 | $4.69B | Ingham et al. (22 plaintiffs) | Ovarian | St. Louis, MO | Reduced to $2.12B; affirmed on appeal |
| Aug 2017 | $417M | Eva Echeverria | Ovarian | Los Angeles, CA | Set aside; JNOV and new-trial order affirmed 2019 |
| May 2017 | $110.5M | Lois Slemp | Ovarian | St. Louis, MO | Final disposition not verified |
| Oct 2016 | $70.075M | Deborah Giannecchini | Ovarian | St. Louis, MO | Final disposition not verified |
| May 2016 | $55M | Gloria Ristesund | Ovarian | St. Louis, MO | Reversed on appeal (Jun 2018) |
| Feb 2016 | $72M | Estate of Jacqueline Fox | Ovarian | St. Louis, MO | Vacated on appeal (Oct 2017) |
| Oct 2013 | $0 (liability only) | Deane Berg | Ovarian | Sioux Falls, SD | Standing (liability; no damages) |
The “current status” column reflects post-appeal dispositions as of April 2026. Several headline jury awards have been vacated, reversed, or reduced, and the original jury figure should not be read as the current enforceable judgment. Reporting that summarizes verdicts by jury award alone overstates the actual standing awards against Johnson & Johnson.
Patterns in the Verdicts
Personal Jurisdiction Has Vacated Several Missouri Awards
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2017 ruling in BMS v. Superior Court, several St. Louis talc verdicts returned for non-Missouri resident plaintiffs were vacated or reversed. Fox (vacated October 2017) and Ristesund (reversed June 2018) are the clearest examples. Slemp and Giannecchini, both non-residents, have not had final dispositions confirmed in available secondary sources.
Punitive Damages Face Closer Post-Trial Scrutiny
Punitive awards have been the primary target of post-trial motions and appeals. The $950 million punitive award in Mae Moore was vacated by the trial court on a JNOV motion. The New Jersey $750 million punitive phase was reduced under the state’s 5x statutory cap and then reversed by the Appellate Division in October 2023. The $4.14 billion punitive component of Ingham was reduced as part of the Missouri Court of Appeals’ reduction to $2.12 billion.
State Bellwethers, Not Federal MDL Bellwethers, Have Produced Verdicts
No federal MDL 2738 bellwether, coordinated in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey under Judge Michael A. Shipp, has returned a plaintiff verdict as of April 2026. The widely reported Kent and Schultz $40 million award was a California JCCP state-court bellwether.
Appeals Have Produced a Mix of Outcomes
Some awards have been affirmed (Ingham reduced to $2.12 billion and affirmed), some have been vacated or reversed entirely (Fox, Ristesund, Barden consolidated), and at least one has been partially reversed at the trial court on JNOV before any appellate review (Mae Moore). The headline jury award is rarely the final enforceable number.
Pending Caseload and Settlement Context
As of April 2026, the JPML tracker for MDL 2738 lists approximately 67,376 federal cases pending in the District of New Jersey under Judge Michael A. Shipp (who succeeded Judge Freda L. Wolfson). State-court filings add to that total. Three Johnson & Johnson affiliate bankruptcy filings (LTL Management I and II and Red River Talc) have been dismissed by federal courts on good-faith grounds.
The $700 million multi-state settlement announced in 2024 resolved consumer-protection and deceptive-marketing claims brought by 42 state attorneys general and the District of Columbia. It did not resolve individual personal-injury claims, and ovarian cancer and mesothelioma cases remain pending in MDL 2738 and state courts.
No comprehensive personal-injury settlement has been reached. People who may be eligible to pursue claims should consult independent counsel; nothing on this page is legal advice.
What is the average talcum powder settlement amount?▼
There is no publicly available “average” settlement for ovarian cancer talc cases, as most individual settlements are confidential. Jury verdicts have ranged from $250,000 to billions of dollars, and many of the largest jury awards have been reduced, vacated, or reversed on appeal. Any individual resolution depends on the severity of illness, strength of evidence, duration of talc use, and applicable state law.
Can jury verdicts be reduced after trial?▼
Yes. Trial courts can grant judgment notwithstanding the verdict or remittitur, and appellate courts can reduce, vacate, or reverse awards. The $4.69 billion Missouri verdict was reduced to approximately $2.12 billion on appeal, the $950 million punitive portion of the Mae Moore verdict was vacated on a JNOV motion, and the $72 million Fox verdict was vacated for lack of personal jurisdiction.
Has any federal MDL 2738 bellwether returned a plaintiff verdict?▼
Not as of April 2026. MDL 2738 is coordinated in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey under Judge Michael A. Shipp. The $40 million Kent and Schultz verdict was a California JCCP state-court bellwether, not a federal MDL bellwether.
References
NPR. (2018-07-13). Jury Awards $4.7 Billion To Women In Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Suit.
https://www.npr.org/2018/07/13/628684038/jury-awards-4-7-billion-to-women-in-johnson-johnson-talcum-powder-suit
Winston & Strawn. (2020-06-23). Missouri Court of Appeals Reduces $4.69B Talc Verdict.
https://www.winston.com/en/blogs-and-podcasts/product-liability-and-mass-torts-digest/missouri-court-of-appeals-reduces-dollar469-billion-talc-verdict-as-a-result-of-personal-jurisdiction-challenge
Law360. (2026-03-13). LA Judge Tosses $950M Punitive Damages in J&J Talc Case.
https://www.law360.com/articles/2309474
Reuters Legal. (2026-02-18). Philadelphia Jury Returns First J&J Talc Verdict in Mass-Tort Program.
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/philadelphia-jury-johnson-johnson-talc-verdict-2026-02-18/
LCBF. (2025-07-30). Verdict Watch: Massachusetts Jury Awards $42M in Talc Mesothelioma Case Against J&J.
https://lcbf.com/verdict-watch-massachusetts-jury-awards-42m-verdict-in-talc-mesothelioma-case-against-jj/
Goldberg Segalla Asbestos Case Tracker. (2026-02). Judge Enters $24.6M Default Judgment in Asbestos-Talc Suit.
https://www.goldbergsegalla.com/blog/asbestos-case-tracker/mesothelioma/judge-enters-24-6m-default-judgment-in-asbestos-talc-suit/
The Daily Record. (2025-12-23). Baltimore Jury Returns J&J Talc Mesothelioma Verdict.
https://thedailyrecord.com/2025/12/23/baltimore-jury-johnson-johnson-talc-mesothelioma-verdict/
Business Wire. (2025-12). California Jury Awards $40 Million in Landmark Talc Verdict Against Johnson & Johnson.
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251214605129/en/California-Jury-Awards-$40-Million-in-Landmark-Talc-Verdict-Against-Johnson-Johnson
Daily Journal. (2025-12). LA Jury Finds J&J Liable for Woman's Cancer in Bellwether.
https://www.dailyjournal.com/articles/389010-la-jury-finds-j-j-liable-for-women-s-cancer-in-bellwether
New Jersey Courts. (2023-10-03). NJ Appellate Division Opinion, A-0047-20 through A-0050-20 (Barden consolidated).
https://www.njcourts.gov/system/files/court-opinions/2023/a0047-20a0048-20a0049-20a0050-20.pdf
Justia (California Court of Appeal). (2019). Echeverria v. Johnson & Johnson, B286283.
https://law.justia.com/cases/california/court-of-appeal/2019/b286283.html
The National Trial Lawyers. (2017-10). Missouri Appeals Court Vacates $72M Talc Cancer Verdict for Non-Resident Plaintiff.
https://thenationaltriallawyers.org/article/mo-appeals-court-vacates-72-million-talc-cancer-verdict-for-non-resident-plaintiff/
Justia (U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota). (2013-10). Berg v. Johnson & Johnson, 4:2009-cv-04179.
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/south-dakota/sddce/4:2009cv04179/46221/196/
California Office of the Attorney General. (2024). Attorney General Bonta Secures $700 Million Settlement with Johnson & Johnson.
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-secures-700-million-settlement-johnson-johnson
MDL Update. (2026-04). MDL 2738: Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Products.
https://mdlupdate.com/mdl/2738-johnson-johnson-talcum-powder-products/