Johnson & Johnson wins new trial on punitive damages in baby powder case

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) secured a new trial regarding punitive damages in a lawsuit filed by the family of Mae Moore, a California woman who attributed her cancer to the company's baby powder.

Los Angeles County Superior Judge Ruth Kwan ruled March 13 that lawyers for Moore's family failed to prove by clear and convincing evidence that Johnson & Johnson acted with malice in its handling of the former talc-based baby powder. The judge threw out the punitive damages portion of a $966 million verdict and granted the company's request for a new trial on that issue.

"Plaintiffs did not establish — by clear and convincing evidence — that J&J acted with malice," Kwan stated in her ruling on post-trial motions. Legal standards require demonstrating wrongdoing that amounts to malice for punitive damages to be awarded.

The verdict represents part of ongoing litigation spanning 15 years over Johnson & Johnson's talc-based baby powder. The company withdrew the product from the market in 2023.

The ruling addresses only the punitive damages component of the case, according to the court filing. Johnson & Johnson has faced multiple legal challenges related to its baby powder product in recent years.

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