Avon Dismissed from Cosmetic Talc Mesothelioma Case in Los Angeles

March 30, 2021 (Los Angeles, CA) – Hawkins Parnell & Young attorneys Claire Weglarz, Macy Chan, and Fred Lee obtained summary judgment for Avon Products, Inc., a direct sales company in beauty, household, and personal care categories. Plaintiffs Alicia and Fermin Ramirez sued Avon claiming that Mrs. Ramirez’s mesothelioma was caused by Avon's cosmetic talc products allegedly contaminated with asbestos.

Judge David S. Cunningham granted Avon’s motion for summary judgment on the basis that the plaintiffs could not prove that any of the Avon products used by Mrs. Ramirez over a 40-year period contained asbestos. In support of the motion, Hawkins Parnell presented evidence that Avon’s quality assurance measures and internal screening and testing programs ensured that the raw talc used in the manufacture of its products was asbestos-free. In granting Avon’s motion, Judge Cunningham ruled that the plaintiffs’ expert witness Sean Fitzgerald lacked foundation for the opinions he offered in opposition to Avon’s motion.

The case is titled Alicia Ramirez, et al. v. Ajax Magnethermic Corporation, et. al., Superior Court for the State of California, Los Angeles County, Case No. 20STCV22671.