Kelley | Uustal has once again been recognized by Courtroom View Network (CVN) for the 2025 Johnson & Johnson talc verdict. The $20 million victory on behalf of the Casaretto family was named among the Top 10 Most Impressive Plaintiff Verdicts in the Nation in 2025.
The recognition underscores a year in which Kelley | Uustal continued to raise the bar by taking on cases that are difficult by design and seeing them through to verdict.
Each year, Courtroom View Network highlights the most challenging, consequential verdicts its cameras captured over the prior twelve months.
The list recognizes trials where fault wasn’t taken for granted, the cause had to be proven from the beginning, and the jury’s trust had to be earned over weeks in court. This year’s recognition places Kelley | Uustal among a small group of trial teams operating at that level nationwide.
Why the Johnson & Johnson Talc Verdict Stood Out
The verdict recognized by CVN arose from Casaretto v. Johnson & Johnson, a wrongful death case tried in Broward County, Florida, on behalf of the family of Dr. Alberto Casaretto, Sr.
At the center of the case was whether Johnson & Johnson’s talc products actually caused Dr. Casaretto’s mesothelioma, a question the company contested throughout the trial.
Dr. Casaretto, a longtime South Florida nephrologist, had no occupational or environmental exposure to asbestos. He never worked in construction, manufacturing, or any asbestos-related industry. His exposure history was clear: decades of daily use of Johnson & Johnson’s talc products.
After a roughly six-week trial in Florida’s 17th Judicial Circuit, the jury concluded that asbestos in Johnson & Johnson’s talc products caused Dr. Casaretto’s mesothelioma. They found the company liable on design and manufacturing defect claims and returned a $20 million verdict, at the high end of the damages range requested in closing argument by John Uustal, alongside co-counsel Levin Papantonio.
What It Took to Get There
Trying a case like this against a global defendant means more than presenting strong facts. It requires building a record that can withstand sustained challenge from a Fortune 500 legal team trained to dismantle an opponent’s case at every stage.
The verdict also carries weight beyond the courtroom. It reinforces accountability in talc litigation and emphasizes the consequences of marketing consumer products as safe while concealing known risks – regardless of the size, influence, or reputation of the defendant.
A Standard That Continues
This is not Kelley | Uustal’s first time being recognized by CVN. The firm has consistently taken on cases that demand the most from trial lawyers and pursued them through verdict.
The Johnson & Johnson talc verdict is part of that pattern and a clear indication of the level at which Kelley | Uustal operated throughout 2025 and and carries forward into 2026.
