FIRST OF MANY TALC CASES

A CALIFORNIA jury this week heard opening statements in the latest trial over allegations that Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based products, including the company’s baby powder, were contaminated with asbestos and cause cancer.

The lawsuit, brought by Terry Leavitt in Alameda Superior Court in Oakland, is the first of more than a dozen J&J talc cases scheduled for trial this year. The company is facing around 11700 lawsuits over the safety of talc in its products.