Judge Increases Mesothelioma Verdict Against Johnson & Johnson
Legislation & Litigation
Written by Travis Rodgers | Edited by Amy Edel
A Connecticut judge has added more money to a jury’s verdict award for a plaintiff with mesothelioma who filed suit against Johnson & Johnson. A Bridgeport Superior Court jury initially awarded Evan Plotkin $15 million in October 2024. The judge has now added $10 million in punitive damages, bringing the total to $25 million.
Plotkin’s lawyers filed his mesothelioma lawsuit in 2021. His attorneys argued in the suit that Plotkin used J&S’s talc-based powder on himself and his children for decades. The lawsuit further argued repeated inhalation of J&J’s asbestos-contaminated talcum powder caused Plotkin’s cancer.
As Karen Selby, RN, a Patient Advocate at The Mesothelioma Center, tells us, “Talc is a very common product that’s used in a lot of cosmetics and powder.” But she notes the talc in these products, like J&J’s talc-based baby powder, was mined “from the same mines that asbestos came from.”
The amount of asbestos in a batch of talc used to make baby powder or other products “could be a very small percentage” Karen explains. However, she notes, “If you’re using powder every day, and you’re getting small doses of talc that may be contaminated with asbestos, over time, that can be a health hazard” that can eventually cause mesothelioma.
Johnson & Johnson Plans to Appeal
While Trey Branham, Potkin’s mesothelioma lawyer, said he and his client “are grateful the judge read the opinion and did what he thought was right,” the company says it will appeal the judge’s ruling. Branham said the verdict strengthens efforts to hold Johnson & Johnson accountable. But the company’s legal team pointed to a recent South Carolina case they argue was similar and the jury found in J&J’s favor.
Erik Haas, the head of J&J’s global litigation team, has repeatedly argued the company’s talcum products don’t cause mesothelioma, ovarian cancer or other asbestos-related cancers. However, Branham commented, ““It’s frustrating that a company known for caring for mothers and babies continues to deny this clear truth.”
Branham pointed to a growing number of verdicts nationwide against J&J. And more than 67,000 talc lawsuits remain pending against the company.
New FDA Dashboard Increases Transparency as Cosmetic Safety Concerns Rise
Growing coverage of talc lawsuits and research linking asbestos-contaminated talc to cancer has made consumers increasingly worried about whether their cosmetics are safe. People are demanding better oversight and in response, the FDA launched a new dashboard on September 12, 2025.
The FAERS Public Dashboard for Cosmetic Products is an interactive real-time tool providing public access to adverse event data related to cosmetics. The user-friendly platform allows anyone to search, query and download adverse event reports that are updated daily. The agency says this represents a major advancement in “radical transparency.”
The dashboard brings together adverse event reports from multiple sources. This includes mandatory reports that cosmetic companies must submit under the 2022 Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act, as well as voluntary reports from doctors, consumers and salon workers. Users can look up specific product names or types of reactions and sort the results based on severity, date and report type. The database covers a wide range of products including moisturizers, shampoos and hair dyes.
The FDA cautions that reports in the dashboard haven’t been verified and don’t prove that a product caused the reported reaction. The data should be viewed as a tool to spot potential safety issues that need further investigation, not as a final judgment on whether a product is safe or dangerous. More information about the dashboard and how to report adverse events is available through the FDA’s MedWatch program.
