Plaintiffs lawyers are fighting to keep their talcum powder cases against Johnson & Johnson out of multidistrict litigation in New Jersey federal court; aiming to return them to state courts, where juries in Missouri have awarded megaverdicts to women who said the products caused them to get ovarian cancer.
The bulk of the 1,700 plaintiffs suing Johnson & Johnson brought cases in state courts. But Johnson & Johnson has removed many of the cases, particularly in Missouri, where juries have awarded verdicts of $55 million, $70 million and $72 million this year. Once removed, the cases would most likely get transferred to the MDL in New Jersey.
