Plaintiffs' attorneys firing the first courtroom salvos in sweeping litigation over popular products face a high hurdle to success: convincing jurors a product they may have used all of their lives can cause potentially catastrophic harm. That's the hurdle The Smith Law Firm's Allen Smith overcame in landing a $55 million verdict against Johnson & Johnson for the ovarian cancer Smith says J&J's signature-brand baby powder caused his client, Gloria Ristesund. 

 Allen Smith delivers the opening statement for Gloria Ristesund, who claims Johnson & Johnson's baby powder caused her ovarian cancer. 

 St. Louis—Attorneys debated Tuesday whether the talc in Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder caused a woman’s cancer, and whether the company acted responsibly in light of research on talc's potential effects, as trial opened against the conglomerate and its talc supplier. Ristesund v. Johnson & Johnson, 1422-CC09012-01.