Attorney General Charity Clark announced today that Vermont will receive $3.1 million over the next four years from Johnson & Johnson to resolve allegations related to the marketing of its baby powder and body powder products containing talc, which often contained asbestos. This settlement is part of a four-year, multistate investigation involving 42 other attorneys general, resulting in a total nationwide settlement amount of $700 million.
“Johnson & Johnson marketed their baby powder and body powder products as safe—when it knew they were not,” said Attorney General Clark. “I will continue to use the authority of my office to hold companies accountable for misleading consumers about the safety of their products.”
The consent judgment filed in this lawsuit addresses allegations that Johnson & Johnson deceptively promoted its talc powder products and misled consumers regarding their safety and purity. Following the coalition's investigation, Johnson & Johnson ceased distributing and selling these products in the United States and recently ended global sales.
Under the consent judgment, Vermont was joined by attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Rhode Island South Dakota Texas Utah Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin.
For information about the official committee for individuals who are or potentially are talc claimants visit https://www.ltltalccommittee.org/.