Colgate-Palmolive settles lawsuit over its talc-based products “containing Asbestos”

Colgate-Palmolive has agreed to settle a lawsuit over claims that a claimant developed cancer after using their talcum powder products.

Carol Schoeniger reportedly developed Mesothelioma, which is a rare and fatal form of cancer that is known to be caused by asbestos exposure. This exposure allegedly came from the talc-based products she was using that reportedly contained Asbestos.

The settlement sum was not disclosed, which may have been an effort to defer others from claiming the same, but the pay-out is likely to have been significant.

Schoeniger claimed that her use of Colgate-Palmolive’s Cashmere Bouquet body powders for over 20 years caused her to develop mesothelioma. She contended that the company failed to warn her about the “risks, dangers and harm” that came with using the product and exposing her to asbestos through “inhalation or ingestion” of asbestos dust.

In recent months, we’ve seen a growing number of claims for talc-based products that are reportedly causing cancer. Many of the actions assert that asbestos contamination can occur as it can often be found in talc deposits.

Another company that uses talc in its products, Johnson & Johnson, has already been facing thousands of claims over its staple talc products reportedly causing cancer. One now-deceased woman brought a claim against the major pharmaceutical company, alleging that her daily use of Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder gave her cancer, to which she eventually and tragically succumbed to. She alleged that J&J failed to sufficiently warn her about the risks of using their talc powder, and had they have done, she wouldn’t have applied it religiously multiple times a day and every day for decades of her life.

J&J is facing some 5,500 claims that its talc-based baby powder has caused ovarian cancer. Hundreds of cases have reportedly been made against Colgate-Palmolive alleging that its talc-based products were laced with asbestos, and dozens of these cases are thought to have been resolved so far.

Imerys Talc North America is one of the world’s biggest talc producers and sells the talc it mines to companies to make into their own talc-based products. The company’s spokeswoman said:

“Imerys’ firm position is that talc is safe, and that position is backed by the consensus of government agencies and professional scientific organisations that have reviewed the safety of talc.”

However, not all scientific journals are completely reliable, as one doctor points out. The Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet – which is recognised as one of the most credible peer-reviewed medical journals in the world – said that published literature can be dominated by “corporate influence and scientific fraud“.  Expert ‘evidence’ that major corporations like J&J rely on may not be accurate or reflect the full story.

Dating back to 1970’s, some scientific reports show that some talc products do have traces of asbestos as the two minerals occur naturally in close proximity. In 2015, Colgate-Palmolive was ordered by a California Jury to compensate Judith Winkle $13 million over her mesothelioma connected to Cashmere Bouquet talc powder.

They consequently made a confidential settlement.

Talc powder is useful for its moisture absorbing properties and has been a staple product for many families for generations. However, if it does carry carcinogenic minerals like asbestos, companies like J&J and Colgate-Palmolive may expect to see more and more claims in the future…