Asbestos in talcum powder
Corries comment on recent developments with talcum powder asbestos claims. We aim to help those where asbestos may have played a part in their illness.
Corries are leading UK based asbestos claims solicitors. If you have been diagnosed with asbestos disease then call our team FREE on 0800 083 7839
The talcum powder claims
In the first of its kind a proposed litigation is being brought against Johnson & Johnson (J&J). The UK based claim will allege that J&J knowingly sold talcum powder with asbestos in products such as baby powder.
The claim shall centre on found documents which suggest that J & J knew as early as the 1960’s that their products contained asbestos. They continued to sell them with no warnings being given.
It is suggested that if successful the litigation could involve 3000 litigants and could involve damages of hundreds of millions of pounds. Many more claimants could make claims in the future.
The litigation is intended to mirror similar claims made in USA based courts.
Talcum powder and asbestos
Talc is a naturally occurring mineral and is often mined close to or with asbestos. The claim will be made that talcum powder and cancer links have been made for many years.
USA based lawyers have canvassed similar action with UK based lawyers for some years.
There have been some documents sent to the media. These show J&J officials discussing the contents of their products and what they show do about marketing them. Solicitors for the claimants allege these confirm knowledge of asbestos.
The claims are denied. Lengthy litigation is likely to follow.
What should you do?
The length of time that the litigation will take trial and any appeal is likely to run into years. Our firm has had extensive experience of product liability claims. They are fought and claims will drag on for years. There is no reason to believe these claims will be dealt with any more quickly.
If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos disease and have concerns then you may wish to consider where else you may have been exposed to asbestos.
In English law a victim of asbestos disease has three years from the date of the diagnosis within which to issue court proceedings. We would strongly recommend NOT waiting for this judgment before acting. If you have another source of asbestos exposure then that should be looked into.
Practical steps
Whilst it may be an easy fall back to blame baby powder for cancer it would be sensible to at least check out other causes for the cancer. These may include natural causes, family history and environmental factors such as smoking, drinking or where you lived.
If you have been diagnosed with asbestos related disease then it would be sensible to:-
- Check what work your parents did and if they could have fetched asbestos in on their clothes or skin?
- Check if any family members or friends have been diagnosed with or died due to asbestos disease?
- Get a work history of employers from the H M Revenue
- Go through your work with each employer and remember if you were exposed to asbestos in your work for that company
- Consider if you were exposed to asbestos from other people working with it close to you
- Try and remember if you were sent to other places which may have had asbestos in them. Check if you were made aware of any asbestos being removed or worked. Examples include a new boiler being installed or a roof being replaced
- Consider where you or your children went to school. Was asbestos in the building?
- Ask your doctor if the disease found in your lungs could have been caused by other causes such as infection, medication or other cause.
Here to help
Our firm works with asbestos victims every day. If the questions above flag up another source of asbestos exposure then we may be able to help.
Our firm is not involved with the talcum powder litigation. We wish the parties involved the very best. We are here to help those who need support now. If you have been affected by asbestos disease and think you have a claim then call us. Our FREE phone number is 0800 083 7839
Our e mail is info@corries.co.uk
You can count on Corries.