April 10, 2023 Update

Victims are curious about the $8.9 billion settlement offer and what it means. It's difficult. In essence, though, J&J is attempting to leverage a clause in the appeal judgement that dismissed its bankruptcy to file for a new bankruptcy. Plaintiffs in the talc lawsuit submitted a motion asking the court to reject the company's most recent attempt to settle the lawsuit through bankruptcy, asserting that the plan comprises "fraud and sanctionable conduct."

The plaintiffs contend that by declaring subsidiary LTL Management LLC insolvent, J&J acted in bad faith. In legal papers submitted to Judge Michael Kaplan of the US Bankruptcy Court in New Jersey, they ask for the lawsuit to be dismissed. The $8.9 billion settlement offered by J&J. Is that a large sum of cash? No doubt. Does it cover 60,000 plaintiffs? No. And therein lies the issue.

April 4, 2023 Update

In spite of J&J's improbable appeal to the Supreme Court, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals has categorically denied J&J's plea to extend the automatic bankruptcy stay. An automatic stay went into place when J&J initially started implementing its plan to spin the talc liabilities off into bankruptcy over a year ago, effectively stopping all further litigation in thousands of talc cases. Fortunately, the bankruptcy stay was lifted after the 3rd Circuit found that the bankruptcy spin-off was unlawful. With little likelihood of success, J&J will now ask the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the 3rd Circuit's ruling. This procedure might take years.

March 31, 2023 Update

Three new lawsuits in the MDL were filed this month, which may be an indication that the class action is set to pick back up.

March 22, 2023 Update

LTL Management, a Johnson & Johnson business that filed for bankruptcy, was unsuccessful in getting the Third Circuit Court of Appeals to revisit its bankruptcy case. The court affirmed its decision from January that LTL's bankruptcy was illegal today. J&J declared today that it will ask the Third Circuit to postpone the decision so that it can appeal to the Supreme Court.

March 16, 2023 Update

The Talcum Powder Class Action MDL now has 37,522 active cases after seven more cases were added over the past month. This is notable since it is the first time in more than 14 months that new cases have been added to the MDL. The automatic stay that went into effect when J&J enacted its Texas 2-step bankruptcy process stopped all new talc claims.

February 23, 2023 Update

A government probe of the medical expenses connected to Johnson & Johnson talcum powder products is demanded by Congressman Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.). Rep. Cohen alleged that J&J knew for years that the asbestos in their talc products was toxic but did nothing about it in a letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Cohen is interested in seeing how much money has been spent on talcum powder-related medical claims.

February 17, 2023 Update

The automatic bankruptcy stay has frustratingly prevented new talcum powder litigation against J&J and its affiliates for the past 14 months. A provision of bankruptcy law known as the automatic stay shields debtors from lawsuits while their bankruptcy case is still active. This injunction has been in effect in the talc lawsuit ever since J&J unveiled its contentious bankruptcy plan a little more than a year ago.

The bankruptcy will be legally dismissed in the coming days, terminating the automatic stay, and fresh talc lawsuits can now be filed in light of the 3rd Circuit's rejection of that tactic. A Californian judge declared this will soon be the new reality on Monday. The court decided that a trial could move forward in a talc case involving a 24-year-old who had terminal cancer.

February 15, 2023 Update

In reaction to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan said yesterday in New Jersey that he intends to dismiss the bankruptcy case. Upon the issuance of the Circuit requirement, he will "issue an order dismissing the case," said to Kaplan, who spoke at today's session. The procedure would be delayed since J&J requested that the entire 3rd Circuit hear the matter. However, this is probably improbable.

February 3, 2023 Update

There is a new judge, and the class action lawsuit involving baby powder is getting ready to resume. This week, Judge Freda L. Wolfson made a retirement announcement. Judge Michael A. Shipp, a federal judge nominee in 2012, will take Judge Wolfson's place on the MDL panel.

January 30, 2023 Update

Today, the contentious attempt by J&J to spin off thousands of talcum powder claims into bankruptcy was rejected by the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. The subsidiary firm J&J established to take on the rising talc liabilities had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, but the appeal court dismissed it. On hearing the news, J&J's stock fell 3%. The plaintiffs' big victory will have a considerable impact on future mass tort cases.

This decision increases the likelihood that you will receive more money and more quickly if you are a plaintiff in the talc lawsuit.

Here is the opinion.