Talcum Powder Lawsuits

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Talcum Powder Plantiff Profile

The demographics of the plaintiffs in talcum powder lawsuits shows they are middle class women over the age of 50. Their values include a strong sense of justice, belief in accountability and socially responsibility.

Plaintiff Profile

  • Johnson & Johnson (J&J) tried for decades to grow weakening sales of its iconic talc. They used ads targeted specifically at certain types of women. It has now been found that many of those same types are among the plaintiffs in thousands of lawsuits that are alleging J&J powder caused their cancers.
  • They aimed their marketing at two specific groups of longtime users: overweight women and African-Americans.
  • J&J gave out free samples at beauty salons and churches in Hispanic and African-American neighborhoods, advertised through Weight Watchers, and ran a radio advertising campaign to "reach curvy Southern women 18-49 skewing African American".
  • J&J also marketed to teens with focused ads promoting the product’s “fresh and natural” qualities. “You start being sexy when you stop trying,” was the text in an ad from Seventeen magazine in 1972.
  • Most of the 13,000 plaintiffs currently in litigation fall into those categories.
  • Demographics of the women involved in lawsuits shows they are generally above the age of 50. Specific cases include Eva Echeverria, a Hispanic woman who died in 2017 at the age of 63, Krystal Kim, a 53-year-old African-American woman and Lois Slemp,62, Deborah Giannecchini, 63, and Gloria Ristesund, 62 all Caucasian. Limited information points to middle class, educated women.
  • Psychographics of people who initiate civil lawsuits for damages show they have a strong sense of justice, believe in accountability for ones' actions, and are socially responsible people who sue to stop the defendant from continuing whatever action led to the lawsuit.



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Legal Practices Handling Talcum Power

Three of the most successful firms in pursing talcum powder and ovarian cancer cases are Robinson Calcagnie of Newport Beach, California, Onder Law of St. Louis, Missouri, and Beasley Allen of Atlanta.

Robinson Calcagnie, Inc

  • Located in Newport Beach, Robinson Calcagnie has represented clients in thousands of cases where negligence, fraud, malfeasance or corporate irresponsibility have resulted in negative results.
  • The trial was handled as a jury trial that ran for four weeks. The firm won an award of $417 million against Johnson & Johnson for Eva Echeverria, by proving a link between her ovarian cancer and the J&J baby powder she used for most of her life. This is the largest single verdict so far in lawsuits alleging ovarian cancer caused by talcum powder.

Onder Law

  • Onder Law is located in St. Louis, Missouri. They have won over $300 million worth of cases, which is the largest number of talcum powder ovarian cancer verdicts won by a single firm.
  • The firm has been positively mentioned by USA Today, ABC Nightline, the New York Times, Chicago Times and the Los Angeles Times.
  • In the case of Lois Slemp, 62, in May 2017, after 10 1/2 hours, the jury returned a verdict for $110,451,921.02.
  • In October 2016, the firm also won an award of more than $70 million for Deborah Giannecchini, 63, of Modesto, California. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012.

Beasley Allen

  • Beasley Allen's main office is in Atlanta, Georgia, with a satellite office in Montgomery, Alabama. The firm has over 75 attorneys and 200 administrative and support staff, all dedicated to the mission of “helping those who need it most.”
  • The firm won a jury trial which awarded Gloria Ristesund, 62, a $55 million dollar judgment after the jury agreed that J&J's products contributed to the development of her ovarian cancer.

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Talcum Powder Legal Advertising

Several United States based law firms have targeted their marketing specific to the link of talcum powder and Ovarian cancer. Three law firms made broadcast TV ads, all with a target message to contact them to see if one has a viable case. Multiple law firms have paid for newspaper print ads, shown here. Onder Law firm has a successful Facebook page. In addition, a law marketing magazine has published an article called Ten Strategies to Dominate in 2019.

Allan Berger & Associates

  • This personal injury law firm is located in New Orleans.
  • Their 30 second TV ad was "Attention Women — Talcum Powder & Ovarian Cancer."

McMahan Law Firm

Marcus and Mack

  • This is a personal injury law firm located in western PA.
  • They have broadcast a 30-second TV ad states that "Johnson & Johnson Talcum powder may be linked to cancer."

Lundy Lundy Soileau & South

  • Located in Lake Charles LA, this law firm purchased a newspaper ad in the Mississippi link. Their message was awareness of danger and possibility of a successful lawsuit.

Multiple Law Firms

  • IQ advertising has provided a template to multiple law firms to put ads in their local law firms. Their message was the result of the use of talcum powder and the possibility of a successful lawsuit.

Onder Law Firm



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