Johnson & Johnson’s refusal to warn consumers its baby powder might cause ovarian cancer, despite four decades of knowing about the risk, created a “perfect storm of highly reprehensible conduct” that warranted a $4.7 billion verdict in Missouri.
That’s according to the plaintiffs’ attorneys, who filed court documents Wednesday seeking to uphold the July 13 award, the largest verdict over talcum powder. Eric Holland, partner at Holland Law Firm in St. Louis, noted in his opposition to a motion for new trial on damages that while rare, “all factors support a large punitive damage award.”
