Johnson & Johnson proposes $8.9bn talc settlement

Johnson & Johnson has proposed an $8.9bn settlement to resolve tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging its talcum powder caused cancer, in an attempt to resolve long-running litigation that has weighed on the healthcare products company.

The proposed deal follows a decade-long legal battle between plaintiffs’ lawyers and J&J. If approved, it would become the largest product liability settlement in bankruptcy history, according to lawyers involved in the case.