Dean Omar Branham Shirley secures verdict on behalf of family of woman who died from mesothelioma

A Los Angeles jury has awarded $32 million to the family of a California woman who died from pleural mesothelioma after years of exposure to an asbestos-contaminated talc product, finding Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) and its subsidiaries liable for her illness.

Maria Lozano died from mesothelioma in 2024. Her children, John Lozano, Araceli Lenard-Lozano and Jeanette Lozano, continued the lawsuit after her death.

View the verdict form and photos here.

During the trial, the family’s attorneys showed how Ms. Lozano regularly used Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based baby powder on herself and her children from the early 1970s, ultimately leading to her fatal cancer.

“Johnson & Johnson tried to blame everything from environmental conditions in Mexico City to cosmetics and automotive work,” said Dean Omar Branham Shirley (DOBS) attorney Danny Kraft, who represented the family at trial. “The jury carefully considered the evidence and concluded that Maria Lozano’s mesothelioma was caused by decades of exposure to asbestos-contaminated Johnson’s Baby Powder.”

At trial, J&J argued Maria’s asbestos exposure stemmed from environmental conditions in Mexico City, where she spent the first 21 years of her life, as well as cosmetic products and her husband’s automotive work. The jury rejected those alternate exposure theories and assigned 0% fault to the Mexico City facilities, cosmetic products and automotive products.

“Maria Lozano spent decades trusting and using Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder on herself and her children,” said DOBS attorney Mark Linder, who also represented the family at trial. “The jury saw the devastating consequences of that exposure and returned a verdict that holds Johnson & Johnson accountable for the harm caused to this family.”

During the trial, counsel for the Lozano family presented evidence showing that the company failed to adequately warn consumers about the dangers associated with asbestos-contaminated talc despite longstanding knowledge of the risks.

The case is Lozano v. Johnson & Johnson, Coordinated Proceeding Special Title LAOSD Asbestos Cases, Coordinated Case No. JCCP 4674, in the Superior Court of California for the County of Los Angeles.

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 www.dobslegal.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260610009032/en/

“The jury saw the devastating consequences of that exposure and returned a verdict that holds Johnson & Johnson accountable for the harm caused to this family.”