WYPR 88.1 FM Baltimore reported that a Baltimore Circuit Court jury ordered Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries to pay $1.5 billion to a woman who developed mesothelioma after using the company’s talc-based baby powder. Dean Omar Branham Shirley partner Jessica Dean was part of the trial team that secured the landmark verdict, the largest to date against the company in talc-related litigation. 

The jury found Johnson & Johnson liable for deceiving the public about the risks associated with talc-based baby powder. The award includes $59.84 million in compensatory damages for medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering, along with more than $1.4 billion in punitive damages. The verdict surpasses a prior $966 million decision in Los Angeles and comes as the company faces tens of thousands of similar claims nationwide. 

“The willingness to sacrifice future people’s health to protect their pocketbook when they have unreal resources is gross,” Dean told WYPR.  

Read the full article here: https://www.wypr.org/wypr-news/2025-12-23/baltimore-woman-gets-1-5-billion-verdict-award-from-j-j-baby-powder-suit