Jury Orders Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) to Pay $966M in Talc Verdict

Group 1 - Johnson & Johnson was ordered by a Los Angeles jury to pay $966 million to the family of a woman who died from mesothelioma, linking her cancer to the company's talc-based baby powder [1][2] - The jury awarded $16 million in compensatory damages and $950 million in punitive damages, marking one of the largest single-user verdicts in ongoing talc litigation against the company [2] - Johnson & Johnson plans to appeal the verdict, describing it as "egregious and unconstitutional," and claims the plaintiffs' case is based on "junk science" [2][3] Group 2 - The US Supreme Court has previously indicated that punitive damages should not generally exceed nine times the amount of compensatory damages, suggesting the awarded sum could be reduced on appeal [3] - Johnson & Johnson operates as a diversified healthcare company with three main segments: Innovative Medicine, MedTech, and Consumer Health, offering a range of products from pharmaceuticals to consumer brands [3]