Calif. Jury Awards More Than $50 Million at Conclusion of Asbestos Talcum Powder Trial Against Avon

LOS ANGELES –– A California jury has awarded $51.2 million at the conclusion of an asbestos-containing talcum powder trial, assessing 90 percent fault to Avon Products Inc. for causing the plaintiff’s mesothelioma.

A California Superior Court for Los Angeles County jury entered the first phase of the verdict on Dec. 14, awarding a total of $40,831,453 in compensatory damages.

In that verdict, jurors assessed the remaining 10 percent liability to Hyster-Yale Group Inc. The jury further found during the first phase that both Avon and Hyster-Yale engaged in the alleged conduct with malice, oppression, or fraud, triggering the …