Beaverton woman awarded $260M from Johnson & Johnson after cancer diagnosis

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A woman from Beaverton was awarded $260 million in a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson, claiming the company's products were "directly responsible" for her cancer diagnosis, the woman's attorneys announced Monday.

After using Johnson & Johnson products throughout her life, 49-year-old Kyung Lee was diagnosed with mesothelioma in August 2023.

“For years, Kyung and her family used Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder not having any idea it could lead to a life-ending illness,” said Lee's attorney Ben Adams of Dean Omar Branham Shirley. “Today, Ms. Lee was able to see justice and secure a future for her family after she is gone.” 

The Portland jury found Johnson and Johnson was "directly responsible" for Lee's illness, because of the company's "defective" products, such as Johnson's Baby Powder with talc, which has been shown to contain asbestos, Lee’s attorneys said.

“During the trial, the jury heard testimony and saw evidence of the pharmaceutical company testing the talc powder, finding asbestos, but not taking the product off the market until recent years,” her attorneys said.

The jury awarded Lee $60 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages.

“Throughout this trial, J&J showed their true colors, attacking the plaintiff’s lawyers rather than acknowledging their conduct,” said partner Trey Branham. “We are so thankful that in this country there still is a mechanism to hold bad actors accountable.” 

In response to the court's decision, Erik Haas -- worldwide vice president of litigation for Johnson & Johnson -- released the following statement:

We will immediately appeal and are confident that the verdict will be reversed, like the
majority of aberrant adverse verdicts that have no basis in the law or science. As the
Court acknowledged, the plaintiffs’ counsel engaged in “willful and bad faith conduct”
during the trial, which by itself is grounds for reversal. The verdict also is irreconcilable
with the decades of independent scientific evaluations confirming talc is safe, does not
contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer.

For that reason, the vast majority of juries have rejected the false narratives regarding
talc advanced by plaintiff law firms. The research, clinical evidence, and over 40 years of
studies by independent medical experts around the world continue to support the safety
of talc.