Mesothelioma victims and victims of ovarian cancer are paying close attention to a trial taking place in Sarasota, Florida. The family of Pat Matthey is suing Johnson & Johnson, accusing it of negligently allowing talc in its iconic baby powder to be contaminated with the asbestos they believe caused her painful death in 2019.
Ovarian Cancer & Mesothelioma Both Blamed on Asbestos in J&J Powder
The ovarian cancer lawsuit filed by the Matthey family is the second of over 40,000 pending mesothelioma and ovarian cancer lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson to be heard after the claims were paused by a bankruptcy proceeding. In this case, the Matthey family has sued the company for product liability and wrongful death from Stage 4 ovarian cancer.
Yesterday, Dr. Mark Rigler, CEO and sole employee of a consulting firm told a jury that, years earlier, he had been a laboratory manager at Materials Analytical Services and had overseen the testing of Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder. He tested that the product he tested had contained fibrous talc particles, the equivalent of contamination with asbestos.
Expert Witness Testifies that Asbestos was Present in Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder Samples
Testifying as an expert witness for the Matthey family, Dr. Rigle said that of 27 bottles of Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder he’d tested, 67% were positive for asbestos, and 78% of Johnson & Johnson’s Shower to Shower product were positive for the carcinogenic material. He also said that the material he’d found in the products matched the characteristics of talc found in Mrs. Matthey’s tissue sample.
Though the attorney representing Johnson & Johnson argued details regarding his title at the laboratory at the time of the testing and pressed him to clarify that there had been no asbestos found in Mrs. Matthey’s tissue samples, Dr. Rigler also testified that the ovarian cancer victim had used far more than 10,000 applications of the product since she had been a teenager. The case is proceeding.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, ovarian cancer, or another asbestos-related disease that has been linked to talc, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608 to learn more.
