A woman is suffering from mesothelioma after allegedly breathing in harmful amounts of asbestos dust found in talcum powder. This talcum powder was produced and distributed by Colgate-Palmolive. As of October 2017 a California appeals court has allowed the ground-breaking mesothelioma claim to proceed.
Exposure to asbestos
Mary Lyons was sadly diagnosed with incurable asbestos-related mesothelioma two years ago. She used ‘Cashmere Bouquet‘ body powder on a daily basis for over twenty years. This powder is a talcum powder produced and distributed by Colgate-Palmolive.
How often is asbestos found in talcum powder?
Talc has been used as a cosmetic powder for centuries and does not usually cause health problems in itself. However, it is sometimes discovered alongside asbestos deposits. This results in potentially deadly contamination.
Problems of contamination have affected large companies like Colgate-Palmolive, Johnson & Johnson and Whittaker, Clark & Daniels for many years.
Currently, American industry guidelines mean that talcum powder products have to undergo strict filtering processes to extract impurities. This reduces the risk of asbestos contamination considerably.
However, this filtering technique was not used in the 1950s to 1970s, when Mary Lyons alleges she was exposed to the deadly dust on a daily basis. This means that the talc could have contained asbestos.
The case
Mary Lyons’ original mesothelioma claim was dismissed by a lower court. However, an appellant court has allowed the case to proceed. They stated that it is possible that jurors could find that, “all or most of the Cashmere Bouquet” used by the claimant over a couple of decades contained asbestos. Therefore, this contributed to the risk of her developing asbestos-related mesothelioma.
We wish Mary all the best in her quest for justice.
How can we help?
Do you require assistance in pursuing a claim for mesothelioma compensation? Please contact us today on our freephone number 0800 038 6767. Alternatively, you can head over to the ‘Contact Us’ page, complete the form, and we will be in touch.