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.

Louisiana

• Simoneaux v. Taylor Seidenbach, Inc. (2023). User of baby powder products at 1960s-2000s
• Roy v. Colgate Palmolive Co. (2021). Consumer of talc products at K&B pharmacy stores, through at least the 1990s
• Rousseau v. Johnson & Johnson (2018). Consumer of cosmetic talc products at 1948-late 1970s
• Oddo v. Asbestos Corporation Ltd. (4th Circuit, 2015). Resident at 518 Marion Avenue driveway made of Johns-Manville fill, 1972-1973

Maryland

• Curtin v. Cyprus Amax Minerals Co. (2020). User of talcum powder
• Kerkhof v. Johnson & Johnson (2019). User of baby powder
• Barlow v. John Crane Houdaille, Inc. (2012). User of talcum powder

Massachusetts

• Honor v. Johnson & Johnson (2019). The district court granted the executrix's motion to remand and returned the case against Johnson & Johnson to Middlesex Superior Court, rejecting J&J's claim of bankruptcy 'related-to' jurisdiction.
• Mitchell v. Johnson & Johnson (2019). The district court granted Maureen Mitchell's motion and remanded the case to Massachusetts Superior Court on equitable grounds, over Johnson & Johnson's removal based on the Imerys bankruptcy.

Mississippi

• Simpson v. American International Industries (2023). The district court denied the plaintiffs' motion to remand, holding that the removal was procedurally proper and that the three Mississippi seller defendants were improperly joined, so the removing defendant American International Industries prevailed.
• Dickens v. A-1 Auto Parts & Repair Inc. (2019). User of talcum powder products (with family)
• Dickens v. A-1 Auto Parts & Repair, Inc. (2019). User of talcum powder products
• Dickens v. A-1 Auto Parts & Repair, Inc. (2018). User of talcum powder products

Missouri

• Guthe v. Johnson & Johnson (2024). New York City, 1951-2000s
• Lindsey v. Dow Chemical Company (2021). Consumer of baby powder from infancy at St. Louis, infancy to 2020
• Douglas v. Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Inc. (2020). Consumer user of baby powder at approximately sixty years, from infancy to about October 2017
• Ingham v. Johnson & Johnson (Eastern District, 2nd Division, 2020). Consumer user of talc powder
• Douglas v. Imerys Talc America, Inc. (2019). The district court denied Johnson & Johnson's motion to dismiss for improper venue or transfer under § 1406, and granted plaintiff's voluntary dismissal without prejudice of Imerys Talc America, which lifted the bankruptcy stay.
• Douglas v. Imerys Talc America, Inc. (2019). Consumer user of talcum powder
• Harashe v. Flintkote Co. (Eastern District, 3rd Division, 1993). Homeowner (plumber by occupation) at His home (attic, walls and a 1975 roof addition), early 1950s-1975

Montana

• Wells v. BNSF Ry. Co. (2024). Community resident at Libby Railyard
• Wells v. BNSF Railway Company (2023). Resident living adjacent to the railyard at BNSF railyard, Libby
• Maryland Cas. Co. v. Asbestos Claims Court (2020). Mill worker and equipment operator at W.R. Grace Zonolite Division vermiculite mill and mine site near Libby, 1968-1969
• Rosling v. Associated Loggers Exchange (2019). Logger at Owens Ventures logging site near the vermiculite loading facility, Libby
• Aarstad v. BNSF Railway Company (2018). Workers of WRG or Zolonite Company at W.R. Grace vermiculite mill, Libby, 1963-1990
• Atchley v. Louisiana Pacific Corp. (2018). Mill worker at Stimson Lumbermill (J. Neils Lumber Co. plywood mill), Libby, 1955, 1958-1959, 1963-1971
• McDowell v. Burlington Northern Santa FE Railway Company (2017). Resident and student at Asa Wood Elementary School, Libby
• Baeth v. Liberty NW Ins. Corp. (2014). Dryer feeder, plugger and patch cutter at Libby lumber mill plywood plant (Champion International, then Stimson Lumber), 1989-1994
• Monroe v. Maco Workers Comp Trust (2014). W.R. Grace employee at W.R. Grace mine, Libby, 1967-1990
• Peterson v. Liberty NW Ins. Corp. (2013). Dryer tender, lift truck driver, de-barker worker at Stimson lumber mill, plywood plant and finger-jointer building, Libby, 1993-2002
• Johnson v. Liberty Northwest Insurance Corporation (2009). Dryer puller/off-bearer, dryer grader, dryer tender, dryer stacker, roundtable off-bearer at Stimson Lumber Company mill (plywood plant, big dryer), Libby, 1963-2001
• Orr v. State (2004). Miner at Libby vermiculite mine and mill, 1965-1967

New Jersey

• Protopapas v. Whittaker, Clark & Daniels, Inc. (2024). The District Court affirmed the Bankruptcy Court's denial of the motion to dismiss Whittaker, Clark & Daniels' Chapter 11 case and dismissed the appeal by the Receiver and the Talc Claimants committee, so WCD's bankruptcy stayed in place.
• Barden v. Brenntag North America, Inc. (2023). User of talcum powder products
• Lanzo v. Cyprus Amax Minerals Company (2021). Long-term user of baby powder and talcum powder
• Kirkwood v. Brenntag North America, Inc. (2020). Personal user of talcum powder and mother applying it to her children at 1957-1966
• Fishbain v. Colgate-Palmolive Company (2019). Child and young woman using talcum powder at home at Family homes in Somerset County (bathrooms), 1964-late 1970s
• Huff v. Cyprus Amax Minerals Company (2019). Consumer using talcum powder (with her mother) at 1956-1970
• Manz v. Brenntag NA (2019). Late 1970s into the 1990s
• Hernandez v. Brenntag North America, Inc. (2016). User of talcum powder
• Kaenzig v. Charles B. Chrystal Company, Inc. (2015). Child of warehouse supervisor at talcum powder plant at Shulton Mays Landing facility, 1967-1975
• Williams v. BASF Catalysts LLC (2012). Research chemist (her father) at BASF Menlo Park laboratory

New York

• Biljetina v. Brenntag N. AM., Inc. (2025). The court granted L'Oreal USA's motion to dismiss the claims against it as time-barred, dismissing the complaint against L'Oreal only, and denied L'Oreal's motion for sanctions against the plaintiff.
• Gref v. American International Industries (2025). The court adopted the magistrate judge's report, granted plaintiff Gref's Rule 41(a)(2) motion to dismiss his claims against American International Industries with prejudice, and denied AII's request for fees and costs.
• Gref v. American International Industries (2024). User of talcum-powder products at lifelong
• Gref v. American International Industries (2024). User of talcum-powder products at lifelong
• Ironshore Specialty Insurance Company v. Color Techniques, Inc. (2024). User of talcum powder and cosmetic products
• English v. Colgate-Palmolive Co. (Matter of New York City Asbestos Litigation) (1st Dept., 2024). Flight attendant at decades
• McFarland v. Abb, Inc. (Erie, 2024). User of cosmetic products at 1996-2000
• Pefanis v. AO Smith Water Prods. Co. (2024). Wife of a man who used Durham water putty