Louisiana Jury Issues $10 Million Verdict in Talc-Related Mesothelioma Case Against Johnson & Johnson

Jury determined the company’s negligence led to Lynne Roy’s death

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Texas trial law firm Dean Omar Branham Shirley, LLP (DOBS) has secured a $10 million jury verdict in a mesothelioma case brought on behalf of the family of Lynne Roy, a Louisiana woman who died in 2020 after developing the deadly lung disease mesothelioma following decades of exposure to talc products.

DOBS attorneys Danny Kraft and Darren McDowell led the trial team representing Ms. Roy and her family. After hearing testimony during a three-week trial in the Civil District Court for Orleans Parish in New Orleans, the jury concluded that Ms. Roy had regular, significant exposure to asbestos from products manufactured or sold by Johnson & Johnson and that exposure was a significant cause of her mesothelioma.

The jury further found Johnson & Johnson negligent and determined that its products were unreasonably dangerous in multiple respects, not the least of which was the company’s failure to warn about the hazards associated with asbestos.

The total award included $8 million in damages for Ms. Roy’s physical pain and suffering, mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life, and $1 million each to her daughters, Melissa Kaiser and Melanie Roy, for the loss of their mother.

“Lynne Roy was a lifelong resident of New Orleans and a prominent businesswoman who ran a multigenerational real estate company. She was a selfless, kind woman who dedicated much of her time in the service of others, helping many underprivileged families obtain homes,” said Jessica Dean, partner at DOBS. “Her two daughters had to wait over six years for their day in court in large part due to two bad faith bankruptcies initiated by Johnson & Johnson. They are incredibly grateful to the jury and court for being able to have their mother’s story heard.”

The jury returned its verdict following four hours of deliberations and determined that several other defendants, including other talc companies and companies that intentionally included asbestos in their products, were also a significant factor in Ms. Roy’s death. Johnson & Johnson’s share of the verdict was set at over $1.2 million.

The verdict represents the 11th talc trial victory against Johnson & Johnson for DOBS in half a dozen states. The firm has additional talc trials scheduled against Johnson & Johnson later this year.

The case, Lynne L. Roy v. Colgate-Palmolive Company, et al., No. 2020-02718, was filed in the Civil District Court for Orleans Parish, Louisiana.

About Dean Omar Branham Shirley, LLP

Dean Omar Branham Shirley, LLP, is a nationally recognized trial firm dedicated to representing individuals and families in complex personal injury, product liability and asbestos litigation. The firm has obtained numerous landmark verdicts and settlements on behalf of victims of mesothelioma and other catastrophic injuries. For more information, please visit http://www.dobslegal.com.