Sugarman v. Johnson & Johnson, et al.

Summary

In this cosmetic talc trial, decedent Marilyn Seskin died due to a rare form of peritoneal cancer. This cancer came after a lifetime of Johnson & Johnson baby powder use, which is alleged by representatives for the plaintiff to contain asbestos.

Plaintiff Bob Sugarman, Seskin's husband, sues Johnson & Johnson, claiming that they knowingly produced baby powder contaminated by asbestos. This asbestos, he believes, caused Seskin's cancer.

Defendant Johnson & Johnson disputes these claims. They assert that the studies the plaintiff relied on were flawed and propose that Seskin's cancer came from other risk factors.

Florida Jury Deadlocks In J&J Ovarian Cancer Talc Trial
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J&J Faces Talc Trial Over Anesthesiologist’s Ovarian Cancer Death, Watch Online via CVN
Feb 14, 2024

Case Information

Attorneys

Witnesses

Plaintiff: Sugarman, Riobert
Defense: Johnson & Johnson

Judge: William Thomas
Jurisdiction: 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida
Court: Dade County Courthouse

Case Number: 2019CA017627
Industry: Printing
Practice Area: Products Liability

Plaintiff

Sugarman, Riobert

Represented By:
O'Dell, Leigh (Beasley Allen Law Firm (Montgomery))
Oliver, Lance (Motley Rice LLC)

Defense

Johnson & Johnson

Represented By:
Brown, Allison (Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP)
Diolombi, Hassia (Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP)

Expert Witnesses

Lay Witnesses

SESSIONS

Attorney

Witness

Type

Description

AM Session

Openings

4 Chapters

	Description	Attorney
00:00:00	General Case Activities
01:08:33	Opening Statement	Oliver, Lance
01:53:50	Opening Statement	Brown, Allison
02:39:47	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

8 Chapters

FEB

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

11 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

11 Chapters

FEB

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

6 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

10 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Oliver, Lance	Freidenfelds, Dr. Lara	In Person
00:04:55	General Case Activities
00:10:04	Witness Direct Examination	Oliver, Lance	Freidenfelds, Dr. Lara	In Person
00:17:05	Witness Cross Examination	Brown, Allison	Freidenfelds, Dr. Lara	In Person
00:42:45	General Case Activities
00:50:14	Witness Cross Examination	Brown, Allison	Freidenfelds, Dr. Lara	In Person
01:24:06	General Case Activities
01:25:46	Witness Cross Examination	Brown, Allison	Freidenfelds, Dr. Lara	In Person
02:38:44	General Case Activities
02:39:27	End of Session

FEB

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

8 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

10 Chapters

FEB

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

10 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

10 Chapters

FEB

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

11 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

7 Chapters

FEB

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

7 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

8 Chapters

FEB

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

6 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

11 Chapters

FEB

AM Session

Defense Witness(es)

5 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Brown, Allison	Osann, Dr. Kathryn	In Person
01:03:23	Break
01:12:44	Witness Direct Examination	Brown, Allison	Osann, Dr. Kathryn	In Person
01:24:58	Witness Cross Examination	O'Dell, Leigh	Osann, Dr. Kathryn	In Person
03:05:46	End of Session

PM Session

Defense Witness(es)

12 Chapters

FEB

AM Session

Defense Witness(es)

10 Chapters

PM Session

Defense Witness(es)

11 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:15:58	Witness Cross Examination	Oliver, Lance	Kuffner, Dr. Edwin M.D.	In Person
00:38:46	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Brown, Allison	Kuffner, Dr. Edwin M.D.	In Person
00:44:05	Break
00:48:15	General Case Activities
00:51:05	General Case Activities		Kuffner, Dr. Edwin M.D.	In Person
00:58:58	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Oliver, Lance	Kuffner, Dr. Edwin M.D.	In Person
01:01:27	Witness Direct Examination	Brown, Allison	Sanchez, Dr. Matthew Ph.D.	In Person
02:06:15	Break
02:12:30	Witness Direct Examination	Brown, Allison	Sanchez, Dr. Matthew Ph.D.	In Person
02:45:42	General Case Activities
02:46:06	End of Session

FEB

AM Session

Defense Witness(es)

5 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Brown, Allison	Sanchez, Dr. Matthew Ph.D.	In Person
01:02:39	Witness Cross Examination	Pendell, Michael	Sanchez, Dr. Matthew Ph.D.	In Person
01:36:47	Break
01:44:52	Witness Cross Examination	Pendell, Michael	Sanchez, Dr. Matthew Ph.D.	In Person
02:35:10	End of Session

PM Session

Defense Witness(es)

9 Chapters

FEB

AM Session

Defense Witness(es)

6 Chapters

PM Session

Defense Witness(es)

12 Chapters

FEB

AM Session

Defense Witness(es)

14 Chapters

PM Session

Closings

6 Chapters

MAR

AM Session

Other

4 Chapters

PM Session

Other

2 Chapters

PM Session

Other

2 Chapters

MAR

PM Session

Other

2 Chapters

PM Session

Other

2 Chapters

PM Session

Other

2 Chapters

MAR

Recording Disclaimer: This proceeding was recorded in full.

Sugarman v. Johnson & Johnson, et al.

Summary

SESSIONS

Suggest a Trial

CVN Essentials

Video Library

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:07:40	Witness Direct Examination	O'Dell, Leigh	Plunkett, Dr. Laura	In Person
02:05:25	General Case Activities
02:06:59	Break
02:19:59	General Case Activities
02:20:49	Witness Direct Examination	O'Dell, Leigh	Plunkett, Dr. Laura	In Person
03:25:09	General Case Activities
03:32:47	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:11:32	Break
00:24:00	General Case Activities
00:30:36	Witness Direct Examination	O'Dell, Leigh	Plunkett, Dr. Laura	In Person
00:41:38	Witness Cross Examination	Brown, Allison	Plunkett, Dr. Laura	In Person
01:38:16	Break
01:49:53	Witness Cross Examination	Brown, Allison	Plunkett, Dr. Laura	In Person
02:21:52	General Case Activities
02:26:17	Witness Cross Examination	Brown, Allison	Plunkett, Dr. Laura	In Person
03:16:49	General Case Activities
03:33:35	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:50	Witness Cross Examination	Brown, Allison	Plunkett, Dr. Laura	In Person
00:20:15	Witness Re-Direct Examination	O'Dell, Leigh	Plunkett, Dr. Laura	In Person
00:35:20	General Case Activities
00:37:05	Witness Re-Direct Examination	O'Dell, Leigh	Plunkett, Dr. Laura	In Person
00:43:55	General Case Activities
00:52:28	Witness Direct Examination	Oliver, Lance	Freidenfelds, Dr. Lara	In Person
02:10:37	General Case Activities
02:14:22	Witness Direct Examination	Oliver, Lance	Freidenfelds, Dr. Lara	In Person
02:23:43	General Case Activities
02:27:10	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:15:44	Witness Direct Examination	Oliver, Lance	Freidenfelds, Dr. Lara	In Person
01:46:22	Break
01:53:13	General Case Activities
01:55:36	Witness Direct Examination	Oliver, Lance	Freidenfelds, Dr. Lara	In Person
03:04:01	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:17:16	Witness Cross Examination	Brown, Allison	Freidenfelds, Dr. Lara	In Person
01:04:35	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Oliver, Lance	Freidenfelds, Dr. Lara	In Person
01:30:56	Break
01:39:02	General Case Activities
01:42:18	Witness Direct Examination	Oliver, Lance	Sugarman, Robert	In Person
03:12:00	General Case Activities
03:15:07	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Cross Examination	Diolombi, Hassia	Sugarman, Robert	In Person
00:30:26	General Case Activities
00:37:55	Witness Cross Examination	Diolombi, Hassia	Sugarman, Robert	In Person
01:17:10	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Oliver, Lance	Sugarman, Robert	In Person
01:27:39	General Case Activities		Sugarman, Robert	In Person
01:30:14	General Case Activities
01:35:58	Witness Direct Examination		Hopkins, John	Video Recording
02:16:57	Break
02:21:03	General Case Activities
02:48:29	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:14:10	Witness Direct Examination		Hopkins, John	Video Recording
01:43:18	Break
01:53:16	Witness Direct Examination		Hopkins, John	Video Recording
01:58:24	Witness Direct Examination	Oliver, Lance	Diaz, Matt	In Person
02:21:07	Witness Cross Examination	Brown, Allison	Diaz, Matt	In Person
02:25:42	General Case Activities
02:27:32	Witness Cross Examination	Brown, Allison	Diaz, Matt	In Person
02:29:40	Witness Direct Examination	Stemkowski, Laura	Rigler , Dr. Mark PH.D	In Person
03:26:54	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:11:19	Witness Direct Examination	Stemkowski, Laura	Rigler , Dr. Mark PH.D	In Person
00:41:20	Witness Cross Examination	Brown, Allison	Rigler , Dr. Mark PH.D	In Person
01:32:34	General Case Activities
01:38:05	Witness Cross Examination	Brown, Allison	Rigler , Dr. Mark PH.D	In Person
01:53:53	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Stemkowski, Laura	Rigler , Dr. Mark PH.D	In Person
02:00:06	General Case Activities		Rigler , Dr. Mark PH.D	In Person
02:01:40	Break
02:04:27	General Case Activities
02:05:19	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:41	Witness Direct Examination	Oliver, Lance	Sitelman, Dr. Arthur	In Person
00:30:14	General Case Activities
00:33:30	Witness Direct Examination	Oliver, Lance	Sitelman, Dr. Arthur	In Person
01:04:24	Witness Cross Examination	Diolombi, Hassia	Sitelman, Dr. Arthur	In Person
01:45:20	General Case Activities
01:53:22	Witness Cross Examination	Diolombi, Hassia	Sitelman, Dr. Arthur	In Person
02:19:43	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Oliver, Lance	Sitelman, Dr. Arthur	In Person
02:38:06	General Case Activities
02:42:41	General Case Activities		Sitelman, Dr. Arthur	In Person
02:46:18	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:20:38	Witness Direct Examination	O'Dell, Leigh	Ness, Dr. Roberta M.D.	In Person
02:02:13	General Case Activities
02:17:31	Witness Direct Examination	O'Dell, Leigh	Ness, Dr. Roberta M.D.	In Person
02:41:13	Witness Cross Examination	Brown, Allison	Ness, Dr. Roberta M.D.	In Person
02:56:37	General Case Activities
02:58:59	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:14	Witness Cross Examination	Brown, Allison	Ness, Dr. Roberta M.D.	In Person
01:46:11	Break
01:56:13	Witness Re-Direct Examination	O'Dell, Leigh	Ness, Dr. Roberta M.D.	In Person
02:20:51	General Case Activities
02:28:14	General Case Activities		Ness, Dr. Roberta M.D.	In Person
02:30:42	End of Session

	Description	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:12	Witness Direct Examination	Morrissey, Thomas	Video Recording
00:46:21	Break
00:50:37	Witness Direct Examination	Nicholson, Dr. Susan M.D.	Video Recording
02:06:05	Break
02:13:24	Witness Direct Examination	Ronell, Diana	Video Recording
02:51:35	General Case Activities
02:53:11	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:07:03	Witness Direct Examination	Pendell, Michael	Chan, Dr. John	In Person
01:11:47	General Case Activities
01:17:58	Witness Direct Examination	Pendell, Michael	Chan, Dr. John	In Person
01:44:04	General Case Activities
01:52:16	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:21	Witness Cross Examination	Brown, Allison	Chan, Dr. John	In Person
00:53:21	General Case Activities
00:57:12	Witness Cross Examination	Brown, Allison	Chan, Dr. John	In Person
01:30:08	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Pendell, Michael	Chan, Dr. John	In Person
01:43:13	General Case Activities
01:44:34	General Case Activities		Chan, Dr. John	In Person
01:51:39	Witness Direct Examination		French, Tina	Video Recording
01:54:13	Witness Direct Examination	Brown, Allison	Osann, Dr. Kathryn	In Person
02:20:03	General Case Activities
02:58:28	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:16:02	Witness Cross Examination	O'Dell, Leigh	Osann, Dr. Kathryn	In Person
00:40:57	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Brown, Allison	Osann, Dr. Kathryn	In Person
00:59:04	Break
01:03:00	General Case Activities		Osann, Dr. Kathryn	In Person
01:08:48	Witness Direct Examination	Brown, Allison	Kuffner, Dr. Edwin M.D.	In Person
01:16:31	General Case Activities
01:19:39	Witness Direct Examination	Brown, Allison	Kuffner, Dr. Edwin M.D.	In Person
01:35:28	General Case Activities
02:00:44	Break
02:03:04	General Case Activities
02:16:26	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:52:42	Witness Direct Examination	Brown, Allison	Kuffner, Dr. Edwin M.D.	In Person
02:25:04	Break
02:37:04	General Case Activities
02:38:33	Witness Direct Examination	Brown, Allison	Kuffner, Dr. Edwin M.D.	In Person
02:45:55	General Case Activities
02:50:45	Witness Direct Examination	Brown, Allison	Kuffner, Dr. Edwin M.D.	In Person
02:53:29	Witness Cross Examination	Oliver, Lance	Kuffner, Dr. Edwin M.D.	In Person
03:34:35	General Case Activities
03:43:52	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:08:05	Witness Cross Examination	Pendell, Michael	Sanchez, Dr. Matthew Ph.D.	In Person
00:35:36	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Brown, Allison	Sanchez, Dr. Matthew Ph.D.	In Person
00:47:49	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Pendell, Michael	Sanchez, Dr. Matthew Ph.D.	In Person
00:48:11	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Brown, Allison	Sanchez, Dr. Matthew Ph.D.	In Person
00:48:52	Break
00:55:26	General Case Activities		Sanchez, Dr. Matthew Ph.D.	In Person
01:14:07	Witness Direct Examination	Brown, Allison	Saenz, Dr. Cheryl M.D.	In Person
02:28:23	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:11:30	Witness Cross Examination	O'Dell, Leigh	Saenz, Dr. Cheryl M.D.	In Person
00:35:12	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Brown, Allison	Saenz, Dr. Cheryl M.D.	In Person
00:59:16	Witness Re-Cross Examination	O'Dell, Leigh	Saenz, Dr. Cheryl M.D.	In Person
01:06:24	Break
01:14:47	General Case Activities
01:16:09	General Case Activities		Saenz, Dr. Cheryl M.D.	In Person
01:34:42	Witness Re-Cross Examination	O'Dell, Leigh	Saenz, Dr. Cheryl M.D.	In Person
01:38:03	General Case Activities
01:51:48	Witness Direct Examination	Diolombi, Hassia	Boyd, Dr. Jeffrey	In Person
02:28:19	General Case Activities
02:39:15	End of Session

	Description	Attorney
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:31:48	Closing Statement	Oliver, Lance
01:21:45	Closing Statement	Brown, Allison
02:31:36	Closing Statement	Oliver, Lance
02:39:19	General Case Activities
03:15:00	End of Session

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:00:00	General Case Activities
		00:01:00	Break
		00:20:41	General Case Activities
		00:24:55	End of Session