Calif. Jury Adds $4 Million in Punitive Damages to Prior $21.7 Million Award in Asbestos Cosmetic Talc Case

LOS ANGELES –– A California jury has added $4 million in punitive damages to an earlier $21.7 million award against Johnson & Johnson in an asbestos cosmetic talcum powder trial.

The California Superior Court for Los Angeles County jury reached the Phase II verdict on May 24, one day after reaching its initial verdict for the plaintiffs.

Sources told HarrisMartin that Johnson & Johnson and Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. were the lone defendants remaining at the time of the verdicts. Jurors allocated 67 percent fault to the J&J defendants.

The remaining percentage of liability was spread to other …