New Jersey Mesothelioma Lawsuit Against Johnson & Johnson Focuses on Dueling Mineral Experts

In defending themselves against charges of being responsible for Ricardo Rimondi’s malignant mesothelioma, attorneys for Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder are  not arguing about whether asbestos causes the illness: they seem to have accepted that science. Rather, they are focusing on presenting the jury with confounding and often confusing testimony about what is or is not asbestos.

Mineralogist Defense of Johnson & Johnson is Questioned

One of the first people called to testify in the mesothelioma trial was a witness for Johnson & Johnson named Matthew Sanchez. Sanchez is a mineralogist, who spent almost as much of his time on the stand defending how much he was being paid by the Johnson & Johnson company, and belittling the experts who said that the product was contaminated with the carcinogenic material, as trying to explain why he does not believe that the company’s product contains asbestos.

Johnson & Johnson Has Already Lost in Several Mesothelioma Trials

It is vitally important to Johnson & Johnson that their expert witnesses testify in this way, as the company has already been ordered to pay billions in compensation to victims of malignant mesothelioma and ovarian cancer. In the state of New Jersey alone, there have been mesothelioma verdicts of $37 million and $117 million awarded to those who claim to have been sickened by years of use of the iconic consumer product, and there are thousands of cases pending that have been filed by other victims. The company that supplied talc to Johnson & Johnson has filed for bankruptcy in the face of these decisions, while Johnson & Johnson continues to defend itself.

Mr. Rimondi is originally from Peru, and was diagnosed with mesothelioma after having used Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder for decades. He and his wife have five sons, and the family has been told that it is unlikely that he will live to see 2020. As for the expert witness, Mr. Sanchez seems careful to answer all questions with reference to modern production rather than the process that Johnson & Johnson used decades ago, when the victims who are pursuing justice now were exposed to the product. Those samples were the subject of internal memos sent between Johnson & Johnson executives, who expressed the possibility of legal jeopardy should the presence of asbestos in their product ever be revealed.

For mesothelioma victims, identifying the source of their asbestos exposure is one of the most important questions that needs to be answered. If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease and you need assistance in answering this or any other question, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608.