Report: J&J Knew for Decades About Asbestos in Baby Powder

Report: J&J knew about asbestos in their products and issued no warning

In a new report that drove the company’s shares down more than 9%, Reuters stated that Johnson & Johnson has known since the 1970s that its talc baby powder sometimes contained carcinogenic asbestos.

Reuters based its report on a review of documents and deposition and trial testimony that showed that from at least 1971 to the early 2000s, the company’s raw talc and finished powders sometimes tested positive for small amounts of asbestos. Company executives, managers, doctors and lawyers discussed the problem amongst themselves but didn’t inform regulators or the public. The documents examined by Reuters also describe successful efforts to influence U.S. regulators’ plans to limit asbestos in cosmetic talc products and scientific research on the health effects of talc.

The company has faced thousands of lawsuits alleging its talc baby powder products contain asbestos and caused ovarian and other cancers. […]

The next IVC filter case goes to trial this week

Next IVC filter trial begins this week

The third bellwether trial involving C.R. Bard IVC filters began Tuesday, September 18 in Phoenix, AZ.   

Of the more than 9,000 lawsuits alleging that IVC filters have caused patients serious harm, C.R. Bard Inc. and Cook Medical Inc. face the largest number of cases, with about 4,000 each. 

Thus far, the first cases to go to trial have yet to yield a clear victor; there have been wins and losses on both sides, so it is difficult to say how this next trial will end. Cook won the first IVC filter trial last year, but then lost two substantial monetary verdicts in May 2017 and March 2018. Cook’s last win occurred on June 1st.

In Tuesday’s trial, a federal judge will oversee the multi-district litigation over C.R. Bard’s IVC filters. The plaintiff‘s attorney, Ramon Lopez was quoted as saying this case could be “ […]

Judge says Monsanto cancer case can move forward

Earlier this week, a federal judge ruled that lawsuits against agricultural giant Monsanto could proceed and that key plaintiffs’ witnesses may testify. The lawsuits allege that Monsanto’s weedkiller Roundup caused users to develop cancer.

This move represents a win for victims, but they will still face an uphill battle at trial, as the judge called their claims “shaky” but admissible.

Thousands of individual plaintiffs claim Monsanto’s widely used weedkiller RoundUp caused them to develop cancer and that Monsanto provided no consumer warning. Specifically, the lawsuits link the ingredient glyphosate to an increased risk of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and claim that the company knew about the risk and failed to warn the public, going so far as to suppress research that suggested the product was dangerous. The ingredient glyphosate is considered a probable human carcinogen according to the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.  […]

IVC Filter Lawsuit Trial Starts This Week

The first case against medical device maker C.R. Bard goes to trial this week in Phoenix, AZ.

Over 3,000 lawsuits are pending against Bard in the United States. Plaintiffs allege that Bard’s IVC filter is unsafe and has been linked to serious complications and death. The bellwether trial, Sherr-Una Booker v C.R. Bard Inc. and Bard Vascular Inc, is scheduled to begin on March 13, 2018.  Booker has alleged that her complications include filter tilting, fracture and perforation according to DrugWatch.com. We will be watching closely to see how this trial unfolds and what the implications may be for other victims seeking legal recourse.

In a 2015 article, NBC news revealed that Bard continued to sell “G2” IVC filters for five years after it knew that the devices had potentially fatal flaws.   […]

Lawsuits claim Roundup weed killer causes cancer

Lawsuits Allege: Roundup Weed Killer Linked to Cancer

Hundreds of lawsuits allege that Roundup, a popular weed killer used on everything from crops to home gardens, has caused cancer in those exposed to it. They also claim that the makers of Roundup knew about the cancer risk, and failed to warn consumers.

Specifically, plaintiffs claim that exposure to Roundup increases the risk of:

• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) including B-cell and T-cell lymphoma
• Leukemia

The main ingredient in Roundup, glyphosate, is the most widely used herbicide in the world.

Monsanto Misstates Research Findings

The lawsuits also allege that chemical giant Monsanto deceived consumers about the safety of their product. Though it is marketed as safe enough to use around pets and humans, studies have found that Roundup potentially very harmful to humans.  […]