At first blush, an industrial-use mineral like asbestos seems to have little in common with a personal-use mineral like talc. But, largely for the reasons explored below, asbestos contamination is hard to detect and very common in these cases. The number of talc-asbestos cases is on pace to equal or exceed<\/a> the number of pure asbestos legal matters filed in the United States. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cross-contamination matters because of the nature of the victims. Johns-Mansville and other asbestos providers kept a lid on the health risks for many years, but even still, many people had some idea that asbestos was a hazardous substance. Talc-asbestos victims had no reason to expect that a popular cosmetic product was also a poisonous product. Furthermore, companies like Johnson & Johnson aggressively marketed talc-containing products to women of color and other vulnerable victims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Talc-asbestos poisoning also matters because talc doesn\u2019t alter the nature of asbestos. These victims are at risk for the same illnesses as industrial exposure victims. As a result, an asbestos exposure lawyer<\/a> can obtain the same kinds of compensation in both instances. In fact, compensation is usually higher in talc-asbestos cases, largely for the reasons mentioned above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Usually, gold mines also contain other geologically similar minerals, such as weathered mica, pyrite, and chalcopyrite. Pyrite is so similar to gold that it\u2019s known as fool\u2019s gold. Laboratory technicians must closely examine unrefined gold to ensure that it really is unrefined gold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Talc and asbestos are like gold and fool\u2019s gold. It\u2019s very difficult to determine the difference. Both minerals are ultramafic rocks<\/a>. These rocks are volcanic, which means they\u2019re usually found in roughly the same place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, all ultramafic rocks have a similar color. So, just like, most miners can\u2019t tell the difference between real gold and fool\u2019s gold, most miners cannot distinguish between talc and asbestos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, talc and asbestos have similar serpentine structures<\/a>. These deposits are especially common in the western United States. Serpentine rock is the state rock of California<\/a>. So, an ultramafic rock usually contains asbestos and talc, and these minerals are hopelessly intertwined. Companies must use good quality control practices to separate these two minerals, but alas, these measures are often lacking. More on that below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Size matters as well. 20,000 asbestos fibers fit in the small space between Abraham Lincoln\u2019s chin and nose on a U.S. penny. Miners don\u2019t have electron microscopes, so there\u2019s no way to tell how many asbestos fibers may be embedded in a talc deposit, especially since multiple kinds of asbestos<\/a> may be in the talc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lack of quality control may be the main reason asbestos and talc are kissin\u2019 cousins. That\u2019s also the main reason compensation is so high in talc-asbestos cases. Johns-Mansivlle and its ilk knew they were selling a dangerous product. Johsnon & Johnson and its ilk didn\u2019t care if they were selling a dangerous product. Morally, that difference is significant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In most states, an asbestos exposure lawyer can obtain punitive damages if the defendant intentionally disregarded a known risk. The greater the disregard, the higher the damages. Johnson & Johnson disregarded this risk as early as 1985<\/a>, when it discovered that its talcum powder was laced with asbestos, yet did not publicly disclose that fact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Talc is a common ingredient in not only cosmetics but also many other consumer goods, such as pharmaceutical medications, crayons, and chewing gum. Therefore, many people have asbestos in their pantries, medicine cabinets, and playrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The miners who extracted asbestos-laced talc, the workers who assembled tacl-containing products, and the people who used these products are all at risk for mesothelioma<\/a> and other asbestos exposure-related diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive form of heart-lung cancer. So, doctors often don\u2019t find mesothelioma tumors until they\u2019ve spread through the lungs and perhaps into other organs. At that point, medical treatment options are limited or nonexistent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To maintain the \u201cthere\u2019s no asbestos in talc\u201d cover, mining companies generally didn\u2019t issue PPE (personal protective equipment) or did not encourage workers to use it. The mining process releases microscopic asbestos fibers into the air. Many miners inhaled these fibers. These fibers are also small enough to absorb directly through the skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The risk of illness declined when mining companies sent asbestos-laced talc to manufacturing companies. Airborne asbestos is deadly, but non-airborne asbestos is harmless. Nevertheless, a risk existed. A single asbestos fiber could cause a lethal illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This risk shot up again when people bought and used asbestos-laced talc products. Talcum powder is probably the best example, which is why so many lawsuits have already been filed. As mentioned, asbestos fibers absorb through the skin. So, women basically used asbestos powder, not talcum powder. The tiny fibers moved through the fallopian tubes and settled in the cervix, where they caused cervical cancer<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n HPV (human papillomavirus), which is a sexually transmitted disease, usually causes cervical cancer. Unless a woman has this risk factor, most doctors don\u2019t look for cervical cancer. Therefore, the tumor grows and spreads undetected.<\/p>\n\n\n\nKissin\u2019 Cousins: Talc and Asbestos<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Talc and Asbestos Form Under Similar Conditions and are Geologically Alike<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Contamination Dangers<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Your Legal Options<\/h1>\n\n\n\n