J&J Defendants File Briefs Attacking $417 Million Verdict in Talc Case, Cite Lack of Causation Evidence, Juror Misconduct

LOS ANGELES –– Johnson & Johnson and Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. have filed a motion for a new trial and a motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, contesting a $417 million talcum powder verdict on a number of grounds, including lack of causation evidence and juror misconduct.

In a Sept. 15 motion filed in the California Superior Court for Los Angeles County, the defendants argued that the size of the verdict raises a “broader concern about runaway juries imposing staggering liability based on speculative science –– a concern that is amplified by the fact that this is only one …