Asbestos in Makeup, Baby Powder and Other Georgia Consumer Products

For many years, most people in the work force were aware that asbestos was embedded in many types of commercial products such as insulation, protective gear, break linings, clutch pads, boilers, firebrick, pipe insulation, “mud”, gypsum board, fire retardant paint, welding rods, ceiling and floor tiles, siding, roofing shingles, spackle, fire blankets, tar, boiler insulation, cement piping, gaskets, linings, and a whole host of other products. While many workers prior to the 1960’s and 70’s were kept in the dark about this, it was brought to national attention around that time and it is well accepted that the workers that worked with or around these asbestos containing products and who were diagnosed with an asbestos related condition were entitled to compensation for their illness and injures. Some of the asbestos related conditions are some types of cancers, asbestosis, lung problems and mesothelioma.

In a surprising development, U.S. regulators now say that several makeup products from Claire’s stores tested positive for asbestos, a mineral that has been linked to deadly cancers. The Food and Drug Administration tested makeup from Claire’s and the retailer Justice, both of which market their products to young girls and teens. Claire’s says its “products are safe” and disputes the test results, saying they “show significant errors.” The retailer says the tests “have mischaracterized fibers in the products as asbestos.”

This comes on the heels of a number of very large verdicts against Johnson & Johnson stemming from lawsuits in which the plaintiffs alleged that they were diagnosed with asbestos related disease from using baby powder and similar products.

By far, the most serious asbestos related condition is mesothelioma. Asbestos is known to cause mesothelioma, a type of cancer affecting the lining of the chest and abdomen, and is linked to an increased risk of other forms of cancer and lung disease. Of all the cancers known to man, mesothelioma is one of the most deadly. It encasing the lungs in a lining and slowly suffocates the lungs. While the latency period (the period of time between being exposed to asbestos and when the mesothelioma signs and symptoms manifest themselves) is extremely long, sometimes as long as 40 years, once the diagnosis is made, the patient with mesothelioma is not expected to live more than a few years. This is a horrible disease, and while they are making some progress in fighting it, it almost always leads to a quick and painful death.

Robert J. Fleming has been handling wrongful death cases, asbestos claims, bus accidents, car accident cases and premises injury cases for individuals and families who have been harmed, injured or died as a result of negligence for over 20 years. He started his practice by representing asbestos manufacturers in wrongful death claims related to asbestos and for other claims brought by plaintiff against the asbestos industry products. He practices in and around the Atlanta, Georgia area including handling lawsuits in Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton, Gwinnett, Cobb and other counties and nearby cities such as Alpharetta, Chamblee, College Park, Conyers, Duluth, Decatur, Doraville, Hapeville, Johns Creek, Jonesboro, Lawrenceville, Norcross, Peachtree City, Riverdale, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Stone Mountain, and Smyrna. If you have been seriously injured and would like to discuss your case in complete confidence, contact Robert J. Fleming directly on (404) 525-5150 or contact us online.