Johnson & Johnson bankruptcy WILL NOT PROTECT it from asbestos lawsuits from former employees –

Johnson & Johnson (J&J), the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, will sue its employees for exposing their employees to the carcinogenic asbestos while producing talcum powder.

Federal Judge Michael Kaplan ruled Tuesday that the Texas company’s latest bankruptcy filing will not allow it to circumvent its class action lawsuit. Endpoint News Reports †

The company has since faced thousands of lawsuits over claims that its iconic baby powder product, which has been removed from shelves in the United States and Canada, was contaminated with asbestos and caused cancer in dozens of people.

A vacancy in Texas allowed the company to form a new company to fulfill all of its obligations, and then the vacant company went bankrupt, and the same court ruled that this move settled nearly 38,000 lawsuits against the company. about the child. . dust.

This class action will not be included in the bankruptcy settlement.

New Brunswick-based J&J has received thousands of lawsuits in recent years over potential asbestos exposure, almost all of which stem from the use of its products.

The talcum powder at the center of these claims uses a talc-based formula. Although the mineral is inherently safe, it often comes from the same mines as asbestos, a carcinogen formerly used in some building materials.

Breathing asbestos can cause a number of problems for a person. Mesothelioma, a cancerous tumor that can form outside of a person’s lungs, heart, and other organs, is most commonly associated with the mineral.

New Jersey federal judge Michael Kaplan (pictured) gave J&J the option to settle bankruptcy cases earlier this year, but chose not to include a class action lawsuit.

In October 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) withdrew J&J powder after it found traces of asbestos in a bottle.

The FDA then conducted a review of J&J talc products and found asbestos in nine of 43 samples tested.

Since then, some company executives have demonstrated awareness of the potential asbestos risk decades before the FDA’s announcement, and the company has even been accused of conducting horrific human experiments.

Although the powder has since been sourced from the United States and Canada, it is still available elsewhere in the developing world.

To avoid penalties, J&J founded LTL Management, a company with full liability for the thousands of lawsuits the company has faced.

That company then filed for bankruptcy in Texas, taking advantage of the state’s favorable labor laws to file completed lawsuits.

In February, Kaplan came out in a shocking decision in favor of J&J.

As reported by Endpoint †, Kaplan said, “The Court is aware that today’s decision will be met with great fear and anxiety.”

However, the case before the Court is much more than an academic exercise or a public policy debate. These problems have real-life implications.’

J&J had hoped the former employee complaint would be included, but Kaplan this week decided it would be dismissed.

J&J is facing allegations that its talc-based baby powder is contaminated with asbestos, leading to dozens of cancer cases. The product was pulled from shelves in the United States and Canada, but is still sold in some parts of the world (archive photo)

Now that the ruling is in effect, Louis Edley’s family will file a complaint with the New Jersey Supreme Court, alleging that he was exposed to the carcinogen while working with talc at a J&J branch.

Edley developed chronic lung disease in the 1980s and eventually sued the company, which was kicked out. Company officials said there are no tests to show that the company’s products contain talc.

Years later, many more began to fall ill before the FDA made the important discovery in 2019.

In court documents, according to Endpoints, “In both cases, J&J falsely asserted to the false defense of its attorneys and representatives that there was no evidence to suggest that J&J/Windsor’s Industrial Speech contained asbestos.”

The company is accused of fraud and withholding evidence.

“We look forward to the opportunity to seek justice for the Edley family and members of our class,” Chris Placitella, who served as Edley’s attorney, told Endpoints.

However, tight suits did not harm the company financially. According to an analysis by Feroce PharmaJ&J, it is still the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, with sales growth of up to 14% last year.

The worldwide distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, along with many other consumer products, has proven to be a boon for the company.