Missouri Court Denies J&J Request to Delay Talc-Related Cancer Trials

News provided by

Jan 05, 2017, 01:19 ET

ST. LOUIS, Jan. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Missouri Court of Appeals has denied a request by Johnson & Johnson to delay upcoming trials of ovarian cancer claims brought by individuals and families who allege that use of the company's talc-based products directly led to cancer.

Attorneys for the health care giant had asked the appellate court to deny the jurisdiction of the 22nd Circuit Court in St. Louis to hear the cases since most of the 1,350 plaintiffs with pending claims are not Missouri residents.

In a one-page order signed Jan. 3, Chief Judge Angela T. Quigless denied the motion without further comment.

The next trial brought by more than 60 women and family members against Johnson & Johnson is scheduled to begin in St. Louis Feb. 6, followed by five additional trials. Last year, St. Louis juries returned three separate verdicts of $70 million, $72 million and $55 million for cancer victims who sued New Jersey based J&J.

The lawsuits claim that numerous scientific studies have shown the link between ovarian cancer and the regular use of talc-containing products manufactured and marketed by J&J, including Johnson's Baby Powder and Shower to Shower. Attorneys for the plaintiffs allege that the company has known about the dangers of talcum powder for decades, but has attempted to suppress and dismiss those studies while refusing to provide warning labels on its talc-containing products.

"Anyone has the constitutional right to bring a case in any jurisdiction," says Ted Meadows, attorney for the plaintiffs and principal at the Beasley Allen Law Firm in Montgomery, Alabama. "We've chosen St. Louis to file several talc-related claims because it's a central location that makes sense for these women, many of whom are very ill and deserve to have their claims heard fairly, quickly and efficiently."

In the U.S., ovarian cancer affects about 24,000 women a year and is the fifth-leading cause of cancer death for women. It is estimated that 14,000 women die from talc-related ovarian cancer each year. One medical expert calculates that the use of talcum powder leads to nearly 10 percent of the new ovarian cancer cases reported annually.

Headquartered in Montgomery, Ala., Beasley Allen is comprised of more than 70 attorneys and 200 support staff. One of the largest plaintiffs' law firms in the country, Beasley Allen is a national leader in civil litigation, with verdicts and settlements in excess of $26 billion. Beasley Allen was one of only 12 firms in the nation named by Law360 to its Most Feared Plaintiffs Firms list in 2015, and the firm was included on the National Law Journal Midsize Law Firm Hot List and the NLJ Elite Trial Lawyers List in 2014. For more information about our firm, please visit our website at www.beasleyallen.com.

Media Contact:

Helen Taylor
(334) 495-1169
(334) 201-2311 voice or text
(800) 898-2034 x169
[email protected]

SOURCE Beasley Allen Law Firm