The Associated Press is reporting that Johnson & Johnson must pay a Virginia woman $110 million after she sued the company, claiming their products are responsible for her cervical cancer.
The jury ruling Thursday night for 62-year-old Louis Slemp, of Wise, Virginia, comes after three previous St. Louis juries awarded a total of $197 million to plaintiffs who made similar claims. Those cases, including the previous highest award of $72 million, are all under appeal.
Slemp, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012, blames her illness on her use of the company's talcum-containing products for more than 40 years. Her cancer has spread to her liver, and she was too ill to attend the trial. About 2,000 state and federal lawsuits are in courts across the country over concerns about health problems caused by prolonged talcum powder use.
A few months ago Johnson & Johnson was hit with a $70 million verdict and is still dealing with well over 1,000 similar lawsuits.