Daily Management Review

J&J fined $750M in USA because of asbestos in talc


02/07/2020


Court in the US state of New Jersey ordered Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to pay $ 750 million in compensation for moral damages to four plaintiffs who claimed to be ill because of asbestos in the manufacturer’s talcum powder, the Wall Street Journal reported.



Open Grid Scheduler via flickr
Open Grid Scheduler via flickr
The judge, presiding over the process and citing state law, said that she would reduce this fine to $ 186.5 million so that it would not more than five times exceed the amount of $ 37 million - this was how much the court in New Jersey awarded a similar claim in compensation for direct damage in April 2019.

The second phase of the process attracted attention of observers as J&J’s Head Alex Gorsky participated in it as a witness. To do this, the top manager literally just had to cross the street - the company's headquarters is located a few blocks from the courthouse.

J&J said it would appeal both verdicts because of "numerous legal errors" made during the process.

source: wsj.com