Talcum Powder Lawsuit in Missouri (Ovarian Cancer & Mesothelioma)

What Missouri residents should know

Missouri residents with talcum powder claims are generally not limited to Missouri state court. Most federal ovarian-cancer cases are coordinated in the multidistrict litigation, MDL-2738, before Judge Michael A. Shipp in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, which held about 68,029 pending actions as of June 1, 2026 — the largest active MDL by pending actions.

Missouri law still matters: the state's filing deadline, discovery rule, damages rules, and procedural law can shape an individual claim even when the case is litigated in the MDL or in state court.

Missouri's landmark talcum powder verdict

Missouri produced the largest talcum powder verdict on record. In Ingham v. Johnson & Johnson, a St. Louis jury awarded about $4.69 billion in 2018 to 22 women with ovarian cancer; on appeal the Missouri Court of Appeals reduced the judgment to roughly $2.1 billion and trimmed the plaintiff group on jurisdictional grounds, and in 2021 the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear J&J's appeal — leaving the reduced award as a final result. Missouri residents' federal talc cases are otherwise coordinated in MDL-2738 in the District of New Jersey.

Sources: Missouri Court of Appeals — Ingham v. Johnson & Johnson opinion (June 23, 2020); U.S. Supreme Court — Ingham docket No. 20-1223 (cert. denied June 1, 2021).

Possible eligibility factors

• Use of a talc-based powder (brand, approximate years, and frequency) by Missouri residents or their families.
• A diagnosis of ovarian cancer or mesothelioma confirmed by pathology and oncology records.
• Diagnosis timing and use history that line up for review.
• Filing within the deadline that applies to the claim under Missouri law.

How Missouri claims proceed

Most Missouri federal talc cases are filed in or transferred to MDL-2738 in the District of New Jersey for coordinated proceedings, while many ovarian-cancer and mesothelioma cases are also tried in state courts. Johnson & Johnson's three "Texas Two-Step" bankruptcy attempts were all rejected — most recently on March 31, 2025 — so cases are again proceeding in the trial system. Missouri's personal injury limitations period is 5 years (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120(4)), but accrual and discovery-rule questions are fact-specific for cancers diagnosed years after talc use.

What records support Talcum Powder claims in Missouri?

• Product-use history showing the talc brand (for example, Johnson's Baby Powder or Shower to Shower), approximate years, and frequency of use.
• Purchase receipts, product photos, or family and witness statements that help establish product use.
• Pathology and biopsy reports, oncology and surgical records, and the diagnosis date for ovarian cancer or mesothelioma.
• Records on other risk factors a lawyer may weigh, such as family history, genetics, or other asbestos exposure.

What exposure and legal context matter in Missouri?

Missouri residents may have used talc-based powders such as Johnson's Baby Powder or Shower to Shower for personal hygiene over many years before an ovarian cancer or mesothelioma diagnosis.

Where are Missouri Talcum Powder cases handled?

Living in Missouri does not necessarily mean the case will be filed only in Missouri. Claims may be evaluated by national firms, filed in federal court, coordinated through MDL proceedings, or handled through another legal process.

Federal courts in Missouri

• Eastern District of Missouri
• Western District of Missouri

How long do Missouri residents have to file?

Missouri's personal injury statute of limitations applicable to product liability claims is 5 years (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120(4)). Accrual timing, tolling, and repose periods can still change the real deadline in an individual case.

• Filing period: 5 years — Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120(4).
• Discovery rule: Missouri's period generally runs from when damage is sustained and capable of ascertainment, which can function like a discovery rule in latent-injury cases.

Because the controlling deadline depends on diagnosis date, discovery facts, exposure history, wrongful-death rules, and how the claim is filed, only a licensed attorney can confirm the deadline that applies to a specific situation. This page is general legal information, not legal advice.

What should Missouri residents ask a lawyer?

• What talc product did I use, and do you need the brand and years of use?
• Do my pathology and oncology records confirm ovarian cancer or mesothelioma?
• How do other risk factors (family history, genetics, other asbestos exposure) affect review?
• How do state filing deadlines and the discovery rule apply to a cancer diagnosed years after use?
• Would my claim be handled in the MDL in New Jersey, in state court, or both?
• Are there upfront costs?