California jury awards $40 million in Johnson and Johnson talc case

A Los Angeles Superior Court jury has returned a $40 million compensatory verdict in favor of two California women who allege decades of exposure to Johnson and Johnson talc based baby powder contributed to their ovarian cancer. The jury reached the award during the Dec. 12 to Dec. 13 period, according to multiple press releases and court reporting, closing out one of the bellwether pairings selected by Judge Theresa Traber in the coordinated Johnson and Johnson Talcum Powder Cases under JCCP No. 4872.

The verdict was allocated roughly with $18 million awarded to one plaintiff and $22 million to the other plaintiff and her husband. Court filings identify the plaintiffs as Monica Kent, Case No. 17CV318672, and Deborah Schultz et al., Case No. 20CV0476, with the latter award including Dr. Albert Schultz. The releases and republished accounts describe the full $40 million as compensatory damages, and do not list any punitive damages in this outcome.

The trial played out in the context of broader talc litigation that has shadowed Johnson and Johnson since 2021, when the company initiated bankruptcy strategies aimed at resolving ovarian cancer claims. Those bankruptcy efforts postponed many scheduled trials, but California coordinated proceedings later resumed and Judge Traber selected six cases for bellwether trials to be tried in pairs. Media materials circulated by legal newsletters and Business Wire emphasized testimony alleging decades of concealment as a central theme in the trial, though detailed transcript excerpts and a categorical breakdown of compensatory categories were not provided in the press materials.

The verdict arrives amid other high profile talc rulings this year, underscoring continuing legal and financial exposure for manufacturers of talc products. In October 2025, a Los Angeles jury awarded the children of Mae Moore $966 million in a mesothelioma case linked to talc exposure, a verdict reported to include $16 million in compensatory damages and $950 million in punitive damages. Other recent talc related awards include a $24.4 million verdict in a Chicago case against Avon. Taken together, these outcomes sustain pressure on corporate defendants, insurers, and investors to reassess potential liabilities.

From a market perspective, the Kent and Schultz verdict reinforces the idea that plaintiffs can win substantive awards in talc litigation despite corporate efforts to consolidate and resolve claims through bankruptcy processes. While this particular award is compensatory, the courtroom precedent and media attention increase the probability of larger verdicts and settlements in future trials, which can translate into higher legal reserves, insurance costs, and capital allocation adjustments for affected companies. For regulators and policy makers, the continuing stream of large verdicts may spur scrutiny of product safety disclosures and corporate disclosures related to litigation risks.

Business Wire carried the primary press release on Dec. 12, 2025, and listed media contact Barry Pound at barry@androvett.com, 800 559 4534. The underlying cases remain part of the California coordinated proceedings under JCCP No. 4872 and may inform the selection and outcomes of remaining bellwether trials this court cycle.