March 6, 2026
Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel law firm: Mesothelioma cancer death linked to company’s asbestos-contaminated talc cosmetics
LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles County jury has returned a $12.75 million verdict on behalf of the family of a Los Angeles physician who died from mesothelioma cancer, finding that third-party cosmetic manufacturer Port Jervis Laboratories, Inc. (formerly Kolmar Laboratories) failed to warn about the dangers of asbestos exposure from its talc-based cosmetic products.
Jurors in Los Angeles County Superior Court found Wednesday that Kolmar Labs had known for decades about the risks of asbestos contamination in talc used in products it manufactured for a brand known as “Jafra,” but failed to warn consumers.
Over four weeks of trial, attorneys from Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel presented testimony and records showing that concerns about asbestos contamination in talc date back as far as the 1930s. According to the lawsuit, the company and its subsidiaries intentionally failed to reveal their knowledge of those risks to users of its products.
Dr. Rosalinda Flores Soto used Jafra brand cosmetics products manufactured by Kolmar between 1980 and 1996 before she was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma in December 2017 and died in April 2021.
“The jury listened carefully to the testimony showing what the company knew and what it failed to tell consumers,” said Patrick Wigle, an attorney with Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel who represented the family. “This verdict brings an important measure of justice and some comfort to Dr. Flores Soto’s husband and family after the devastating loss they have endured.”
Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer caused solely by exposure to asbestos fibers. While many mesothelioma victims have been exposed to asbestos in industrial workplaces, consumers like Ms. Flores can also be exposed through everyday products made with talc, including cosmetic powders.
The Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel trial team included Patrick Wigle, Camille Hunt, and Matt Bufford.
The case is Abel Eduardo Vasquez Hernandez, individually and as successor-in-interest to Rosalinda Flores Soto, deceased, et al. v. Jafra Cosmetics International et al., Case No. 22STCV08221, in the Superior Court of California, Los Angeles County.
Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel is a national plaintiffs’ law firm devoted to helping families in personal injury and wrongful death cases involving asbestos and mesothelioma, benzene exposure, and other toxic chemicals and negligent corporate practices. The firm also represents plaintiffs in sex abuse and qui tam whistleblower claims.
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