Ngemuva kwesinqumo sejaji esingu-$67.5 million ngokumelene Johnindodana kanye JohnIndodana ngo-Okthoba 27 iphawule ukunqotshwa kwayo kwesithathu ilandelana ecaleni lokuhlasela kwamacala athi imikhiqizo yayo esekwe ku-talc ibangela umdlavuza wesibeletho, inkampani inethemba lokuguqula lo mkhuba ngokuba namacala alalelwe enkantolo ehlukile.
Zonke lezi miklomelo ezintathu, ezilinganiselwa ku-$195 million, zanikezwa enkantolo yesifundazwe eSt. Louis, eMissouri, kanye nejaji elifanayo eliphethe. Abesifazane noma imindeni yabo bafake izicelo ezifanayo ezingu-2,500, iningi elikhulu enkantolo efanayo, okungenye yeziningana e-United States ezidonsela amacala abathengi.
Abamangali bathi izifundo zibonisa ukuthi imikhiqizo ye-J&J's Baby Powder kanye ne-Shower to Shower, uma isetshenziswa endaweni yesitho sangasese sowesifazane, yandisa ingozi yomdlavuza wesibeletho. Le nkampani iphikisa ngokuthi izifundo ezinkulu nezibanzi azibonisi ukuxhumana okunjalo.
Ekufakweni kwenkantolo ngo-Agasti, i-J&J yathi leli cala kufanele lichithwe ngoba abameli babamangali bangcolisa iqembu labameli baseSt. Louis. Le nkampani ithe olunye uhlangothi luchithe cishe amaRandi ayizigidi eziyi-10 ezikhangisweni zethelevishini zezwe nezendawo ngonyaka odlule, kanti ingxenye enkulu yazo yayisebenza eSt. Louis. Abameli besifazane baphikile isimangalo sika-J&J.
Le nkampani iphinde yaphikisana ngokuthi, ngenxa yokuthi iningi labo aliveli eSt. Louis futhi inkampani ese-New Jersey ayinabo ubudlelwano obuqinile nendawo, amacala bekungafanele aqulwe lapho. Ijaji lazilahla zombili izimpikiswano.
John UBeisner, omunye wabameli abaphezulu abamele i-J&J, uthe inkampani ihlela ukwenza izimpikiswano ezifanayo eNkantolo Yokudlulisa Amacala yaseMissouri. Uma inkantolo yaseSt. Louis itholakala ingenawo amandla okuphatha, amacala kuzodingeka afakwe kabusha kwenye indawo.
UBeisner waqhathanisa izinqumo zaseSt. Louis nesinqumo esihle ngoSepthemba esivela kujaji wenkantolo yesifundazwe eNew Jersey. Lowo majaji, ophethe amacala e-talc angaba ngu-200, wakhipha ochwepheshe babamangali ngesizathu sokuthi ubufakazi babo besayensi babuqagela kakhulu.
Esinqumweni esifanayo, wawachitha amacala amabili okuqala abekwe icala futhi isinqumo siyadluliselwa phambili.
U-J&J wazama kodwa wangaphumelela ukuvimba ubufakazi bochwepheshe eSt. Louis ngezizathu ezifanayo. Inkampani izokwenza inselelo efanayo uma isidlulisa icala, kusho uBeisner.
Isinqumo sangesonto eledlule samaRandi ayizigidi ezingama-70 silandele imiklomelo yamajaji aseMissouri yamaRandi ayizigidi ezingama-72 ngoFebhuwari kanye namaRandi ayizigidi ezingama-55 ngoMeyi.
Isinqumo sokuqala esikhulu ngoFebhuwari sanqotshwa umndeni kaJacqueline Fox, owashona ngo-Okthoba 2015. Abameli babo bathi wayesebenzisa i-J&J Baby Powder kanye ne-Shower ukuze ashawe i-Powder nsuku zonke iminyaka engu-35 ukuze ahlanzeke izitho zangasese ngaphambi kokuba atholakale enomdlavuza wesibeletho ngo-2013.
UJere Beasley, inkampani yakhe efake amakhulu amacala e-talc, okuhlanganisa ukunqoba okuthathu eMissouri kanye nokuxoshwa okubili eNew Jersey, uthe izinqumo kufanele zishukumise i-J&J ukuthi yenze isivumelwano.
“Ukube bengibamele, bengizothi, bantu, sidinga ukuhlala phansi siphinde sihlangane futhi siqale ukuzama ukuxazulula la macala,” kusho yena.
IZINQUMO EZINKULU
Izinqumo ezinkulu zivame kakhulu emacaleni amakhulu omthwalo wemfanelo womkhiqizo, futhi zivame ukuncishiswa noma zichithwe lapho kudluliswa icala. Icala elilodwa elibhekene neMerck & Co mayelana nokubuyiselwa kwayo emuthini wobuhlungu iVioxx lakhipha isinqumo esingu-$253 million ngo-2005, esachithwa eminyakeni emithathu kamuva. Ekugcineni iMerck yaxazulula iningi lamacala eVioxx ngo-$4.85 billion ngo-2007.
Abanikazi bamasheya e-J&J, eyayithengise amaRandi ayizigidigidi ezingama-70 ngonyaka odlule, kuze kube manje baye bangazinaki izinqumo ezintathu ze-talc, okuyicala lokuqala kulamacala aqala ukuqulwa. Kodwa uma lo mkhuba uqhubeka, umthwalo wemfanelo ungakhula. Le nkampani ayikaze ibike ukuthi ibeke eceleni noma iyiphi imali egciniwe yokubhekana namacala e-talc, njengoba ikwenzile ngezimangalo zangaphambilini mayelana nomuthi wokulwa nesifo sengqondo i-Rispardal kanye nokufakwa kwezitho zangasese ezibuyiselwe emuva.
I-J&J ayisathengisi i-Shower ku-Shower, eyathengwa yi-Valeant Pharmaceuticals ngo-2012. Nakuba ingeyona umthengisi omkhulu ngokwayo, i-Baby Powder iwuphawu oluqashelwayo lomugqa wokunakekelwa kwezingane we-J&J, owaletha imali engenayo eyizigidigidi ezimbili zamaRandi ngo-2015.
Abanye ochwepheshe bezomthetho bathi kunengqondo ukuthi uJ&J aqhubeke nokulwa.
"Ngokuvamile ngingathi izinqumo ezintathu ezinjalo zingakwenza ucabange ngesivumelwano," kusho uprofesa we-University of Georgia Law School u-Elizabeth Burch, ocwaninga amacala omthwalo wemfanelo womkhiqizo, kodwa uthe icala lika-J&J lihlukile kancane.
UBurch uthe isivumelwano ngeke siqede umthwalo wemfanelo we-J&J ngoba imikhiqizo yayo ye-talc isesemakethe, ngokungafani nezinkampani ezimikhiqizo yazo ibuyiselwe emuva.
UHoward Erichson, uprofesa eFordham School of Law, uthe inkampani nayo inokukhathazeka okunengqondo mayelana nomthelela wesivumelwano endaweni yayo emakethe.
"Lokhu akuyona i-Vioxx. Lokhu akuyona i-asbestos," kusho u-Erichson. "Lesi yisimo lapho inkampani ifuna ukuvikela uhlobo lwayo, futhi ngeke ikhathazeke ngokumemezela isivumelwano esikhulu esibonakala sivuma ukuthi umkhiqizo uyingozi."
