N.Y. Appellate Court Affirms Joint Trial of 3 Consumer Talc Asbestos Cases

NEW YORK –– Three asbestos cases involving claims of exposure to asbestos in consumer talcum powder can be tried jointly, a New York appellate court recently ruled, rejecting defendant Colgate-Palmolive’s (NYSE:CL) contention that the cases involve “a novel scientific theory.”

In the Oct. 2 decision, the 1st Department Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court noted that while a link has not yet been established between consumer talcum powder and asbestos-related injuries, a link has been established between industrial talcum powder and mesothelioma.

The complaints include allegations that Colgate-Palmolive is liable for the plaintiffs’ mesothelioma for its role in …