Colgate Denied Summary Judgment in N.Y. Talcum Powder Asbestos Action

NEW YORK — A New York judge has denied Colgate-Palmolive Co.’s motion for summary judgment in a talcum powder asbestos exposure action, ruling there are questions of fact as to whether the decedent’s use of Cashmere Bouquet talcum powder caused her mesothelioma.

However, in the Sept. 22 order, Judge Adam Silvera of the New York County Supreme Court dismissed the plaintiff’s punitive damages claim, finding Colgate took steps to ensure the safety of the talcum powder.

Maryann Purser, now deceased, was allegedly exposed to asbestos through her lifelong use of Colgate’s Cashmere Bouquet and developed pleural mesothelioma as a result. …