A federal judge in New Jersey has significantly narrowed a proposed multistate class action alleging that acne creams sold under the Clean & Clear and Neutrogena brands contained cancer-causing benzene without proper warnings.
In a 37-page decision issued Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey dismissed large portions of the plaintiffs’ state and common law claims against Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. and Kenvue Inc., finding that the complaint failed to adequately connect alleged violations of federal manufacturing standards to the cited state laws.
However, the court allowed the consumers’ claims for monetary damages to proceed, concluding that they plausibly alleged they purchased defective products.
Allegations Over Benzene Contamination
The consolidated lawsuit includes nearly two dozen named plaintiffs from states including California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington. The majority are California residents.
