Bloomberg’s sources said J&J has struck deals with several law firms, suggesting the New Jersey-based group was trying to get ahead of the mounting toll of lawsuits still pending. Up to now, it has dealt only with individual claims, winning some and appealing verdicts that went against it.

In May, with the official litigation count at 19,400 cases, J&J announced plans to pull the talc-based powder from the North American market and switch to only cornstarch-based powder while continuing to sell the talc-based version elsewhere.

No cases have been heard since March, due to coronavirus-related shutdowns, and the news agency said the group has used the hiatus to negotiate with lawyers. The litigation lull is due to end this month, however.

On Oct. 13, a court Oakland, California, is set to hear a factory worker’s claims that his mesothelioma diagnosis is related to talc exposure. The plaintiff, Rosalino Reyes III, who says he used the Johnson & Johnson baby powder for about 50 years, was diagnosed in 2019.

Bloomberg Intelligence estimated in July that settling all the outstanding cases could cost J&J as much as $10 billion. In a July securities filing the same month, the healthcare group said it had established an accrual primarily for defense costs and reserves for potential settlement of currently pending mesothelioma cases, but did not name a sum.

Author: Dede Williams, Freelance Journalist