i wonder what such high punitive damages (10x actual assigned) are for. It implies that J&J knowingly did something wrong like a tobacco company.
J&J's annual revenue is $70B so $55M is what, 0.07% or something like that? They probably spend more on refilling their vending machines.
Or let's put it another way. Say you are making $100K, it would be like paying one $70 fine for giving someone cancer. A speeding violation will be more than that in most states.
It does appear that way, but it's not true. The marketing was simply toward those who buy it more often that's all.
Knowingly selling a dangerous product is bad enough (it says not to inhale the dust - how exactly are you supposed to use it without making dust?), but let's not criticize them for things that are not real.
Talc is an ancient, traditional material. They never hid the fact that their powder is made of talc. (And that is the selling point. I wouldn't buy some starch-based substitute myself.)
Alcohol turns to acetaldehyde, which is carcinogenic. Thus, sue the fuck everyone who produces wine, whisky, beer, sauerkraut or fermented anything. They are all covering it up by not mentioning cancer on their label!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talc#Food_grade : The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers talc (magnesium silicate) to be generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for use as an anti-caking agent in table salt in concentrations smaller than 2%.
Compare it with someone who forged a $100 bill a few times and went to jail for 20+ years.
JNJ's total annual earnings is around $15BB (from all products).
JNJ's total annual sales of talcum powder are around $400MM. It would take them ~150 years to SELL $60BB of talc, let alone have that amount of profit from talc.