Asbestos in Talc and Vermiculite: Asbestos Court Decisions

Decisions in our case-law library that involve talc and vermiculite: 231 cases, by state. Each line gives the exposure the court described, or else what it decided. For the topic itself, see Asbestos in Talc and Vermiculite.

Alabama

• Smith v. Avon Products, Inc. (2019). Consumer using baby powder on herself and her son at Residence in Jefferson County, Alabama, 1950s-2015
• Kruse v. Vanderbilt Minerals, LLC (2015). Paint filling department worker (first three months on the bull gang unloading materials) at Mobile Paint Company, Conception Street plant, 1965-1975

Arkansas

• Burnett v. American International Industries (2020). Hairdresser at 1964 to 2018
• Kimmons v. Autozone, Inc. (2020). Consumer of talcum powder products at 1968-1970 and 1981 to the late 2000s

California

• Holste v. 3M Company (2025). Personal use of baby powder at 1960s and 1970s
• Sarjeant v. Foster Wheeler LLC (2024). The court granted Vanderbilt's summary judgment motion as to Sarjeant's use of a DAP product, denied it as to the Kaiser Gypsum products, and deferred ruling on the fraud and punitive damages claims.
• Ramirez v. Avon Prods. (Laosd Asbestos Cases) (2nd Appellate District, 8th Division, 2023). Consumer who used talcum powder daily at mid-1970's to 2007
• Bader v. Johnson & Johnson (1st Appellate District, 4th Division, 2022). Consumer (childhood and later use of baby powder)
• Ann Strobel v. Johnson & Johnson (1st Appellate District, 4th Division, 2021). Consumer who used Johnson's Baby Powder on himself at 1951-2014
• Leavitt v. Johnson & Johnson (1st Appellate District, 5th Division, 2021). Consumer user of baby powder at 1966-1998
• Rathbun v. Barretts Minerals, Inc. (2021). Dentist at 1973 through 2020
• Bader v. Avon Products, Inc. (1st Appellate District, 4th Division, 2020). Teacher; consumer of Avon perfumed talc powder at Alameda, 1980-2000
• Booker v. Imerys Talc America, Inc. (1st Appellate District, 3rd Division, 2020). Mixer and tinter mixing paint and talc at Dexter Midland Chemical Company, Hayward facility, 1970-1992
• Booker v. Imerys Talc America, Inc. (1st Appellate District, 3rd Division, 2020). The Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court's postjudgment order that largely denied Imerys's motion to tax costs, so the Booker plaintiffs kept their costs for claims against other defendants.
• Gibbons v. Johnson & Johnson Consumer (Laosd Asbestos Cases) (2nd District, Division 4, 2020). Consumer user of Shower to Shower powder at 1980-2000
• Berg v. Colgate-Palmolive Company (1st Appellate District, 1st Division, 2019). Teenage consumer of shave talc at 1959-1961 or 1962
• Carrera v. Johnson & Johnson (2019). The magistrate judge recommended denying Johnson & Johnson's request to stay and granting Dana Carrera's motion to remand her case to California state court, for lack of bankruptcy 'related to' jurisdiction or, alternatively, on equitable grounds.
• Strobel v. Colgate-Palmolive Company (2019). The district court granted Douglas and Jo Ann Strobel's motion to remand their talc mesothelioma suit to Solano County Superior Court, rejecting Johnson & Johnson's bankruptcy-related removal.
• Weirick v. Brenntag North America, Inc. (2019). User of talc products
• Alfaro v. Colgate-Palmolive Co. (Laosd Asbestos Cases) (2nd Appellate District, 4th Division, 2018). Child user of talcum powder at childhood
• Wittman v. Coty, Inc. (2nd Appellate District, 4th Division, 2018). Consumer user of face powder at late 1970's to 2015
• Alfaro v. Imerys Talc America Inc. (2nd Appellate District, 4th Division, 2017). Child consumer of talcum powder at 1977-1990
• Lyons v. Colgate-Palmolive Co. (1st Appellate District, 3rd Division, 2017). Consumer user of talcum powder at early 1950s to early 1970s
• DePREE v. BASF Catalysts LLC (1st Appellate District, 5th Division, 2016). Hobbyist repairing dents in vehicles with Bondo auto body filler at 1970s
• Uribes v. BASF Catalysts, LLC (2015). Auto mechanic at San Jose, approximately thirty-five years

Delaware

• Tetteh v. Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (2016). Worked in Stranders, Final Test, Scrapers, and Tool Cleaning departments, and drove a forklift at Western Electric Company cable and wiring manufacturing plant, Norcross, 1973-1989
• RT Vanderbilt Co. Inc. v. Galliher (2014). Filling ceramic molds in the cast shop at Borg Warner bathroom fixtures plant (cast shop), Mansfield, 1966-1968 and 1970-2005
• Galliher v. R. T. Vanderbilt (In re Asbestos Litigation) (2012). The court allowed plaintiff's late-disclosed geologist (Fitzgerald) to testify, excluded plaintiff's other late expert (Dr. Rigler), continued the trial to July 16, 2012 so defendant R. T. Vanderbilt could develop rebuttal evidence, and sanctioned defendant's out-of-state counsel $5000.
• In re WR Grace & Co. (2012). Libby residents and former Grace miners at Grace vermiculite mine near Libby, 1963-1990
• In re WR Grace & Co. (2012). Miners and town residents at Grace vermiculite mine near Libby, 1963-1990

District of Columbia

• Jackson v. Colgate-Palmolive Company (2019). User of talcum powder at home at 1940s to approximately 1990

Florida

• Lornamead, Inc. v. Fleemin (4th District, 2023). User of cosmetic talcum powder at 1978-2015
• Stevenson v. Cyprus Amax Minerals Co. (2018). Personal hygiene use of baby powder at 1942-1985
• Viera v. BASF Catalysts LLC (2016). Auto-body worker using body filler at auto shops, 1959-1968

Georgia

• Johnson & Johnson v. Shiver (2021). User of Johnson's Baby Powder and Shower to Shower at 1972, for 42 years
• Hanson v. Colgate-Palmolive Co. (2018). Consumer who used talc powder daily at 1962-1970
• Hanson v. Colgate-Palmolive Company (2018). Consumer of talcum powder at 1961-1973

Illinois

• Ramirez v. Avon Products, Inc. (1st District, 5th Division, 2024). Janitor at Avon's Morton Grove facility, 1981-1982
• Johnson v. Edward Orton, JR. Ceramic Foundation (2023). Ceramics artist and teacher at 1971 to 1984
• Johnson v. Orton (2021). Worked with ceramics for different companies and schools at 1970-1983
• Johnson v. Orton (2021). Studied and worked with ceramics for several companies and schools at 1971-1984

Kansas

• Dickenson v. Brenntag North America, Inc. (2023). The magistrate judge granted Henkel's motion to compel production of Dickenson's settlement agreements with Pfizer, Barretts Minerals and any others, denied without prejudice the request for settlement communications, and declined to award expenses.
• Dickenson v. Brenntag North America, Inc. (2022). User of deodorant at over twenty years

Kentucky

• Hayes v. Colgate-Palmolive Company (2021). User of cosmetic talcum powder at 1963 through the 1970s
• Hayes v. Colgate-Palmolive Company (2019). User of talcum powder products
• RT Vanderbilt Company, Inc. v. Franklin (2009). Employee of Florida Tile at Florida Tile plant, Lawrenceburg, 1968-1973

Louisiana

• Chenet v. Colgate-Palmolive Company (4th Circuit, 2024). Consumer of talcum powder at Cashmere Bouquet talcum powder
• Johnson v. Johnson & Johnson (2024). Consumer user of talc powder
• Lyles v. K&b Louisiana Corporation (2024). Purchaser/user of talcum powder products at K&B Drug Store locations, New Orleans, over 50 years, as recently as 2020
• Chenet v. Colgate-Palmolive Co. (4th Circuit, 2023). User of talcum powder