Ill. Federal Court Dismisses Defendant from Talc Exposure Case, Cites Lack of Personal Jurisdiction

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. –– An Illinois federal court has dismissed a talc defendant from an ovarian cancer lawsuit, concluding that it does not have personal jurisdiction over the defendant.

In the Aug. 28 order, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois said that the defendant’s affiliation with the state is not “‘so continuous and systematic as to render’ Defendant at home in Illinois.”

Judyth Harlan filed the complaint, contending that exposure to talc in Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower-to-Shower body powder led her to develop ovarian cancer. Harlan named Imerys Talc America Inc. …