Punitive Damage Claim Can Proceed Against Chanel in N.Y. Asbestos Case

NEW YORK –– A claim for punitive damage can proceed against Chanel in an asbestos cosmetic talcum powder case, a New York court has ruled, finding that the company has not proffered evidence that “dispels with certainty questions of fact regarding their level of recklessness.”

In an Oct. 5 order, the New York Supreme Court for New York County found that a reasonable juror could determine that Chanel was on notice of its contaminated talc and that “its subsequent conduct and usage of such talc rises to the level required for punitive damages.”

Chanel Inc. moved to dismiss the plaintiff’s …