2/22/2017 Jurors In Toxic Tort Litigation Take Genetics Seriously - Law360

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JurorsInToxicTortLitigationTakeGeneticsSeriously
Law360,NewYork(February21,2017,11:46AMEST)Canjurorsgraspthe
roleofgeneticsinpersonalinjuryclaimsallegedtoarisefromexposureto
specificchemicals?Canjudgesgrasptheissueswellenoughtoreallyhelp
expertwitnessespresenttheissuesclearly,andtohelpjurorsunderstand?

Notlongago,wesawthefirstasbestostrialmakingexplicitreferencetoa
plaintiffwithBAP1mutationsandtheallegedroleofthosemutationsinthe
causationstory.Thepointofthisarticleistoprovidesomemorespecific
informationfromthattrialwithrespecttothegeneticinformationdescribed
andtohighlightthemessagethatjurorstakegenetictestimonyseriously.
DavidSchwartz
Thefirstmesotheliomatrialemphasizingtheroleofgeneticsinestablishinga
causallinkbetweenasbestosexposureandmesotheliomainvolvedaplaintiff
namedHollyOrtwein.Thecase(No.RG13701633)wastriedtoajuryinthe
AlamedaCountySuperiorCourtbeforeBradSeligman,ajudgewhohastried
multipleasbestoscases.

Accordingtolawyersfromthetrial,thejuryconsistedprimarilyofcollege
graduates,andincludedatleasttwojurorswithadvanceddegrees.

ThelonedefendantattrialwasCertainTeed,amakerofpipethatcontained
blue(crocidolite)asbestosfibers.CertainTeedwasrepresentedbyFrank
BelfieldandJenniferLeeofDentonsUS,andElizabethGeiseandNeilLloydof
KirkHartley
SchiffHardin.HollyOrtwein(andthenherestate)wasrepresentedbyJoe
Satterley,JustynBoslandAndreaHustonoftheKazanfirm.

ThegeneticissueintheOrtweintrialrevolvedaroundtheBAP1mutation,anditsrolein
mesothelioma.Normally,allpersonshavetwoworkingcopiesoftheBAP1gene.Theundisputedfact
inthiscasewasthatHollyOrtweinwasnotnormalbecausesheinheritedfromherparentsone
mutatedcopyoftheBAP1geneherBAP1mutationpreventedtheproductionofnormalamountsof
theBAP1proteinthatworks(alongwithotherproteins)tosuppresscancersbyrepairingdefectsin
cellDNA.

Also,inthetumoritself,OrtweinsnormalBAP1genewasmissingbecauseithadbeenknocked
out.Thus,inthecellsthatcomprisedOrtweinsmesothelioma,therewerezeronormalcopiesofthe
BAP1gene,andthereforelittleornoBAP1proteinwasbeingmanufactured(i.e.,expressed)in
thosecells.

Sadly,HollyOrtweinwasfromafamilyheavilyaffectedbymesothelioma.Infact,mesotheliomahad
previouslykilledthreeothermembersofherfirstgenerationfamily.Thus,Ortweinwasthefourth
familymemberkilledbymesothelioma.

Attrial,OrtweinstrialteampresentedthefirstevertrialtestimonyofJosephTesta,PhD.Dr.Testais
oneoftheleadauthorsonsomeoftheseminalpapersontheroleofBAP1inmesotheliomaandone
oftheworldsmostaccomplishedresearchersinthisarea.

TestatestifiedonJan.14,2016,andwaspresentedbyJustynBosl.Afterhetestified,Judge
Seligmanfollowedthedesirablepracticeofallowingthejurytosubmitwrittenquestions,whichJudge

https://www.law360.com/articles/893614/print?section=california 1/3
2/22/2017 Jurors In Toxic Tort Litigation Take Genetics Seriously - Law360
SeligmanfirstdiscussedwithcounselinchambersandthenpresentedtoTestainopencourt.

Thequestionsandanswersarepages163173ofthedailytranscript.Thejurorsquestions,asasked
byJudgeSeligman,aresetoutbelow,withsomeveryslightediting.

Q1.Sothefirstis,isthereaBAP1geneticmutationthatdisablesbothgenesversusjustone
copyofagene?

Q2.Yousaidtherewere10to12or5to6additionalmutationsthatwererequiredtomove
fromStageIItoStageIIIinthediagram,talkingaboutyourearlierdiagramabouthowcancer
develops.Canyouclarifythenumber,anddoesthisdifferencematter?

Q3.Asbestosthisisaquestion.Asbestosexposurecausestheadditionalmutationsaloneor
doesthecancerousgrowthitselfcausethemutationsaswell?

Q4.Therewassometestimonyaboutchildrengettingmesotheliomaunder10.Andthe
question,Ithink,is,forthosechildrenwheretheresnohistoryofasbestosexposure,doyou
believethatthere,infact,musthavebeenasbestosexposure,naturalorenvironmental,that
wejustdontknowaboutorthatthiswascausedsomeotherway?[editedslightly]

Q5.Younotedthatasbestoscanbothinitiateandpromotethedevelopmentofmesothelioma.
Aresometypesofasbestosmoreaggressiveinitiatorsand/orpromotersofmesothelioma?

Q6.Canyousayanythingaboutthedegreetowhichcrocidoliteismoreaggressiveinthe
presenceofaBAP1mutation?

Q7.Thereswouldyouagreethattheresnoevidencethattheresnoevidenceshowingan
increaseinmesotheliomainthegeneralpopulationamongpeoplewithaBAP1mutation?

Q8.AndIguessthisisafollowup,whichis,istheresufficientevidencetoconcludethatBAP1
mutationisariskfactorforanumberofcancers,but,intheabsenceofasbestosexposure,it
wouldnotonitsowncausemesothelioma?

Q9.YouagreethatthosewhoareawaretheyhaveaBAP1syndromewoulddowelltoclosely
monitortheirhealthforspecificmalignancies.ButifBAP1syndromeissorare,howwould
anyoneeverknowtobescreenedforit,especiallyiftheyappeartobeotherwisehealthy?

Inourview,thequestionsaskedbythejuryareexcellent.Theyhighlighttheviewthatthejuryis
engagedwiththegenetictestimonyandistryingtoappropriatelyutilizethattestimony.

Thatsimportantbecausegoodsciencearisesfromaskinggoodquestions.Indeed,Dr.Testa,started
hisanswertoQ3bysaying:Thatsanextremelyinterestingquestion.

Andwethinkthesameprincipleappliestogoodverdicts.So,whatdidtheOrtweinjurydecideabout
theroleofBAP1inthecausationofmesotheliomaassociatedwithasbestosexposure?

Therewasnojuryverdictthecasesettledshortlybeforeitwouldhavebeensenttothejury.

Twomorecommentsseemapt.First,weapplaudJudgeSeligmanforlettingjurorssubmitquestions
infollowuptoexperttestimonyandthenfortakingthosequestionsseriouslyenoughtopresentto
theexpert.

Second,wehopetriallawyersarethinkingaboutthebigpicturequestionsregardingjuriesandthe
topicsofcancer,geneticsanddiseasecausation.Wepredictthesetopicswillbecomemoreandmore
importantinthenearfuture.

ByDavidSchwartz,InnovativeScienceSolutionsLLC,andKirkHartley,LSPGroupLLC

DavidSchwartz,Ph.D.,isheadofscientificsupporttocounselatInnovativeScienceSolutions,where
hehelpsclientsdefendandsupportpharmaceuticals,industrialchemicals,medicaldevices,foodsand
dietarysupplementsinthecourts,theregulatoryarenaandthemarketplace.KirkHartleyisthe
https://www.law360.com/articles/893614/print?section=california 2/3
2/22/2017 Jurors In Toxic Tort Litigation Take Genetics Seriously - Law360
founderofLSPGroupLLC,andhaspracticedlawforover30years,withafocusonadvisingawide
rangeofcorporations,associationsandindividuals(asbothplaintiffsanddefendants)onmasstorts
issues.

Theopinionsexpressedarethoseoftheauthor(s)anddonotnecessarilyreflecttheviewsofthe
firm,itsclients,orPortfolioMediaInc.,oranyofitsortheirrespectiveaffiliates.Thisarticleisfor
generalinformationpurposesandisnotintendedtobeandshouldnotbetakenaslegaladvice.

AllContent20032017,PortfolioMedia,Inc.

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