Like many people diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma and ovarian cancer, Bob Sugarman blames asbestos-contaminated talc in Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder for his wife Marilyn Seskin’s cancer death. His personal injury lawsuit against the consumer giant is currently being heard in a Miami, Florida courtroom, and yesterday Miami-Dade Circuit Judge William Thomas allowed the widower to present old advertisements that the company targeted at young women.
Asbestos Claim Points to Decades-Old Johnson & Johnson Advertisements
Johnson & Johnson’s advertising strategy has been raised in previous mesothelioma claims. The company has been named in lawsuits accusing them of targeting black and Hispanic women despite knowing of the dangers of asbestos-contaminated talc in its product, and Mr. Sugarman’s claim does the same. Though the judge did not allow the plaintiffs to bring in every ad that they wanted to, the jurors did view several ads on Thursday.
As happens in many mesothelioma cases, Mr. Sugarman’s attorneys presented an expert witness who supported both his claim about the impact of the company’s ads on young women and the existence of studies that suggested a link between the use of talcum powder and cancer. Ms. Seskin died of a rare peritoneal carcinoma.
Expert Witness Speaks of Johnson & Johnson’s Pressure on Researcher
The expert witness, Lara Friedenfelds, is a historian of health, reproduction, and parenting. She testified to a questionable Johnson & Johnson action that has been raised in previous mesothelioma and asbestos trials: she said that an internal Johnson & Johnson report indicated that company representatives had met with Dr. Daniel Cramer, a doctor at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute who published a study concluding that the use of talcum powder on the perineum increased the risk of ovarian cancer.
Ms. Fridenfelds said the company asked Dr. Cramer to redo the study and to not release any more statements to the public or to grant any interviews revealing what he had found. She called this an “act of intimidation.” Mr. Sugarman’s case against Johnson & Johnson seeks both compensatory and punitive damages.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related cancer after using Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608.
