Connecticut Jury Delivers $15 Million Asbestos Verdict Against Johnson & Johnson

Barchart · 10/15 18:05

A Bridgeport jury has awarded Evan Plotkin and his wife Martha Barry-Plotkin $15 million in a verdict against pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) and several subsidiaries for damage linked to asbestos in the company’s talc-based Baby Powder.

“This trial demonstrated once again that J&J knew its products would cause harm, but they chose to do the wrong thing time and time again,” said Mr. Plotkin’s attorney, Ben Braly of Dean Omar Branham Shirley LLP (DOBS). “We are devastated for the Plotkin family. No amount can ever make up for what Johnson & Johnson did to Evan.”

Mr. Plotkin, an artist and father of three, was diagnosed in 2021 with mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs tied to asbestos exposure. He was exposed to J&J’s product through personal use beginning in the 1950s and his children’s use through the 2000s. J&J withdrew its talc powder from North American sales in 2020.

“Johnson & Johnson has already issued a statement blaming the judge and the jury and reiterating its debunked theory that the product they sold to mothers, fathers and babies is safe. But this is now four different juries, in four different states, in front of four different judges making the exact same findings. At some point Johnson & Johnson and its decision makers are going to have to understand that it cannot be that they alone are right and everyone else is wrong,” said DOBS managing partner Trey Branham.

The jury awarded $15 million in compensatory damages and answered in the affirmative that punitive damages were justified, meaning the ultimate verdict amount could go higher. J&J subsidiaries Kenvue, Holdco, Pecos River, LLT, and LTL also were defendants in the lawsuit.

Mr. Plotkin has been recognized for his transformative work in downtown Springfield, Mass., as founder of City Mosaic, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering and expanding the area’s visual arts community. In 2022, his impactful contributions earned "Citizen of the Year" recognition from the Springfield Regional Chamber.

The Plotkins were represented by Mr. Braly and Ethan Horn of Dean Omar Branham Shirley, LLP, and Brian Kenney of Early, Lucarelli, Sweeney & Mesienkothen, LLC.

The case is Evan Plotkin et al. v. Johnson & Johnson et al., case number FBT-CV-21-6109520-S, in the Bridgeport Judicial District of the Connecticut Superior Court.

About Dean Omar Branham Shirley, LLP

Dean Omar Branham Shirley, LLP is a nationally recognized trial firm that handles cases across the country for individuals who have suffered catastrophic injuries or have died as a result of the irresponsible conduct of others. For more information, visit http://www.dobslegal.com.