Johnson & Johnson Hit With $1.5 Billion Talc Verdict — Largest Single-Plaintiff Award Yet

A Baltimore jury has sent Johnson & Johnson the clearest message yet: $1.5 billion.

In December 2025, the jury ordered J&J to pay that amount to a Maryland woman who developed peritoneal mesothelioma after decades of using the company's talc-based baby powder. It is the largest verdict ever awarded to a single plaintiff in the talcum powder litigation.

J&J has now lost over $2.5 billion in talc verdicts in 2025 alone. The company's three attempts to use bankruptcy to resolve these claims have all failed. And over 90,000 lawsuits remain pending.

The Verdict

The plaintiff alleged that asbestos fibers in Johnson's Baby Powder caused her to develop peritoneal mesothelioma, a cancer of the abdominal lining. Mesothelioma has no cure. The five-year survival rate for peritoneal mesothelioma is approximately 65% with aggressive treatment, but many patients face a terminal prognosis.

The $1.5 billion verdict follows a pattern of escalating jury awards. In October 2025, a Los Angeles jury awarded $966 million to the family of Mae K. Moore, an 88-year-old woman who died from mesothelioma. The jury found J&J 100% responsible.

Other recent talc verdicts include $40 million to two women with ovarian cancer in December 2025, $20 million in a Broward County mesothelioma case, and $5 million in a Minnesota mesothelioma case — all in the same year.

Three Bankruptcy Attempts, Three Failures

J&J has tried three times to resolve the talc litigation through a legal maneuver known as the "Texas Two-Step." The strategy involves spinning off liabilities into a subsidiary, then filing that subsidiary for bankruptcy to cap payouts.

A U.S. bankruptcy judge rejected the most recent attempt — a proposed $9 billion settlement — on March 31, 2025. The judge found the plan did not meet the legal standard for fairness to claimants. It was J&J's third rejection.

The company cannot use bankruptcy to escape jury trials. That means individual cases will continue going to verdict, and juries are awarding larger and larger numbers.

What J&J Knew

Internal documents produced during discovery show that J&J knew for decades that its talc products contained trace amounts of asbestos. Company memos dating to the 1970s discussed the contamination risk. External testing confirmed asbestos fibers in samples of Johnson's Baby Powder.

J&J removed talc from its North American baby powder formula in 2020, switching to cornstarch. The company has maintained that its products were safe and that the science does not support a link between its talc and cancer.

Juries have disagreed — repeatedly and at increasing dollar amounts.

Where the Litigation Stands

As of May 2026, over 90,000 talc lawsuits remain pending against Johnson & Johnson. The litigation is the largest mass tort by case count in the United States.

With the bankruptcy strategy exhausted, the company faces a choice: settle on terms plaintiffs will accept, or continue losing at trial.

For current information on the J&J talcum powder litigation, see the 411 Press mass tort lawsuits tracker.