Florida Jury Awards $20M in Johnson & Johnson Talc Case

Case Background

In a highly anticipated trial in Broward County, Florida, a jury delivered a decisive verdict against healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson. The case centered on the tragic death of Dr. Alberto A. Casaretto Sr., a long-time nephrologist in Fort Lauderdale, whose family sought justice over claims that the company’s talc-based consumer products caused his fatal cancer.

Dr. Casaretto, a Broward County resident, and his wife, Irene Casaretto, initially filed the lawsuit in December 2018, shortly after Dr. Casaretto received a devastating diagnosis. He continued his fight until his death in 2022 from malignant pleural mesothelioma. His son, Alberto Casaretto Jr., continued the wrongful death action against Johnson & Johnson, its subsidiary Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Inc., and several retailers.

Cause

The complaint alleged that Dr. Casaretto developed malignant pleural mesothelioma as a direct and immediate result of his long-term exposure to and inhalation of the Defendants' talcum powder products. Specifically, the Plaintiffs claimed that products like Johnson's Baby Powder and Shower to Shower contained or were contaminated with asbestos, asbestiform fibers, and other asbestiform particulates. The exposure, they alleged, took place over nearly five decades, from the late 1960s until 2018, at his home addresses. The particles, once inhaled, lodged in the pleura of his lungs, causing the cancerous changes.

Injury

Dr. Casaretto was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma, an aggressive and deadly cancer that attacks the lining of the lungs and chest cavity, on October 30, 2017. The Plaintiffs underscored the exigent nature of his health condition from the onset of the diagnosis. After his death in 2022, the case converted to a wrongful death action pursued by his family.

Damages Sought

The Plaintiffs brought the action seeking monetary damages exceeding fifteen thousand dollars $15,000.00, exclusive of interest and costs, at the time of the initial complaint. The eventual trial aimed to recover significant compensatory damages for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and the family’s losses resulting from Dr. Casaretto's death due to the negligence and wrongdoing of the Defendants.