Calif. Jury Enters $18.8 Million Verdict Against Johnson & Johnson at Conclusion of Talc Trial

OAKLAND, Calif. – A California jury has awarded $18.8 million to a plaintiff at the conclusion of a mesothelioma trial involving Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder products, allocating 100 percent liability to Johnson & Johnson but determining that the plaintiff had failed to prove that the defendant acted with malice, fraud or oppression.

The California Superior Court for Alameda County jury reached the verdict on July 18, seven days after hearing closing arguments in the case. Opening statements in the case were delivered on May 31.

As a result of the malice finding, jurors did not award punitive damages in …