A New Jersey jury hearing testimony in a mesothelioma lawsuit against consumer giant Johnson & Johnson listened to emotional testimony from one of the four plaintiffs in the case, describing his pain at the knowledge that his children will grow up without him. Will Ronning is one of four plaintiffs in the single trial who are claiming that asbestos hidden in the company’s popular baby powder product is responsible for his terminal illness.
Johnson & Johnson attorneys accused of attempting to breach attorney-client privilege
The ongoing trial is one of thousands that accuse Johnson & Johnson of knowing that its product contained asbestos and doing nothing to prevent either mesothelioma or ovarian cancer in the consumers who used it. As the company defends itself against the charges, it has been reduced to numerous legal machinations, including asking a question during cross examination that Mr. Ronning’s attorney called an invasion of attorney-client privilege.
At one point during the testimony Mr. Ronning was giving about his mesothelioma diagnosis, the attorney for Johnson * Johnson asked him a question about whether his attorneys had been the first to tell him that the popular product had caused his cancer. Mr. Ronning’s attorney objected immediately and the judge had the question struck, instructing the jurors not to consider it.
Mesothelioma victim and wife give tearful testimony
Mr. Ronning’s testimony about the impact of his mesothelioma on him and on his family was described by court watchers as heart wrenching, as he spoke about his 13 and 11-year-old daughter and son and the pain of knowing that they are going to grow up without him. He talked about the impact that the illness has had on his energy, his physical condition and his emotional wellbeing. he told jurors,“It’s been a nightmare since April of 2017,” while his wife Elizabeth testified that “all his energy went into trying to be normal in front of the kids,” and “it killed him emotionally.”
In addition to Mr. Ronning, the mesothelioma claim against Johnson & Johnson’s was filed by Douglas Barden, David Etheridge and D’Angela McNeill-George, all of whom have blamed asbestos in baby powder used on them when they were infants for their diagnosis with the rare and fatal form of cancer.
Diagnosis with malignant mesothelioma is a painful journey, both physically and emotionally. For help dealing with this deadly disease, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
