Carol Schoeniger used Colgate-Palmolive Cashmere Bouquet Talcum Powder on a daily basis from 1959 throughout the early 1980’s.
In 2016, aged 79 she was diagnosed with mesothelioma and had to undergo numerous chemotherapy treatments.
She sued Colgate-Palmolive Company alleging that the company knew or should have known that its talc product contained asbestos but failed to warn consumers of the danger.
Ms. Schoeniger claim alleged that since the 1930’s scientists were discovering asbestos in talc and the mines from which Colgate sourced its talc were documented as contaminated with asbestos. The company allegedly failed to test for asbestos until the early seventies.
Testing confirmed that the product contained several different types of asbestos fibres. Colgate denied that its product had ever been found to contain asbestos and that they had not warned consumers about its danger.
According to reports Ms. Schoeniger settled her compensation claim for an undisclosed amount with the defendants.
Speaking about the likelihood of similar compensation claims being taken here in Ireland Liam Moloney Personal Injury Solicitor said today “in April 2015 a California Jury returned the first verdict against Colgate-Palmolive for asbestos exposure from Cashmere Bouquet. In that case more than $13 million was awarded to a Californian consumer Ms. Judith Winkel who developed mesothelioma after using the product for about fifteen years.”
He added “Irish consumers may have been similarly exposed to asbestos fibers from talcum powder which was used widely here over many decades”.
