CVN screenshot of plaintiff attorney Aaron Chapman delivering his opening statement in Boston
Two trials are underway in Massachusetts and Connecticut state court over claims asbestos supposedly present in Johnson & Johnson’s cosmetic talc products caused cancer, and the proceedings are being webcast and recorded gavel-to-gavel by Courtroom View Network.
Opening statements began October 15 in Bridgeport and October 19 in Boston. In both cases plaintiff claim asbestos allegedly found in products like Johnson’s Baby Powder caused mesothelioma, a cancer affecting the tissue surrounding the lungs frequently associated with asbestos inhalation. They accuse J&J of knowing about the risks for years, but the company maintains their talc products never contained asbestos and that studies plaintiffs cite linking talc exposure to cancer are based on junk science.
The same Texas-based firm that has taken the majority of mesothelioma-related cases to trial against J&J in recent months, Dean Omar Branham Shirley LLP, represents the plaintiffs in both cases while J&J is represented by teams from Jones Day and King & Spalding.
Both trials are being streamed both live and on-demand via CVN, which has recorded the vast majority of mesothelioma-related cosmetic talc trials over the last decade. Those dozens of trials (including all witness testimony) are part of CVN’s trial video library, featuring hundreds of trials from around the country in a wide range of practice areas featuring many of the top plaintiff and defense attorneys practicing today.
Mesothelioma-related cosmetic talc trials have been far more frequent than trials dealing with claims related to ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer cases are limited to female plaintiffs who used cosmetic talc products on their bodies and supposedly had it travel up their fallopian tubes, however mesothelioma plaintiffs include both men and women claiming they inhaled asbestos fibers allegedly present in the powder.
Despite a lengthy pause due to a bankruptcy stay and widespread settlements that have resolved thousands of cases J&J and plaintiff attorneys are still taking talc cases to trial (primarily mesothelioma cases) all over the country. Another trial being webcast by CVN is currently in progress in California state court, and another talc trial recorded by CVN ended in a defense verdict in Massachusetts last month.
CVN screenshot of defense attorney Will Stute delivering his opening statement in Boston
CVN has also covered a number of the less frequent ovarian cancer trials, the most recent ending in a defense verdict in California state court earlier this year.
The current Connecticut trial is captioned Marlene Phelan v. Arkema Inc., et al. case number FBT-CV23-6124450-S in Bridgeport Superior Court.
The Massachusetts trial is captioned Haddad v. Johnson & Johnson case number 2081CV02285 in Middlesex County Superior Court.
E-mail David Siegel at dsiegel@cvn,com
