Consumer Products Allegedly Cause Asbestos Poisoning

Case Overview

This case involves health issues that have arisen from plaintiffs using industrial products that contained asbestos. It was alleged that consumers, particularly those in the construction and maritime industries who were exposed to the products over a longer period of time, suffered symptoms related to asbestos contamination. Counsel sought a specialist in the mining of these types of minerals and combination of silicate minerals to consult on several key questions to the case, namely, the relationship between asbestos and other mined materials.

Questions to the Infectious Disease and Communicable Disease expert and their responses

Please describe your background in geology.

I have been consulting in the mining industry for 30+ years and have multiple licensures, including Registered Member of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (formerly, Society of Mining Engineers).

Can you explain why you are qualified to consult on this matter?

I am more than qualified to address this issue and to serve as a consultant on the matter. I have 24 years of expert witness experience, and have qualified and testified in state and federal court numerous times.

Can you tell us about your experience and knowledge as it relates to the mining of these minerals?

I have just finished working on a few matters concerning limestone. I have worked on hundreds of cases. Many have been purely mining-related and several have even been asbestos-related.

About the expert

This highly qualified expert has over 35 years of experience in geology, environmental science, geotechnology, and mining. He obtained his BS in geological sciences from San Diego State University, before receiving his MS in geology from the University of California, Los Angeles. Today, he is a certified paleontologist, engineering geologist, and professional geologist. He is also a licensed supervisor of hazardous materials handling and response and a registered environmental assessor. This expert is an active member of numerous professional organizations, including the Geological Society of America, the Society of Economic Geologists, the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, & Exploration, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, and the Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists. He is also very active in academia, having published numerous peer-reviewed articles on topics pertaining to geology. He formerly served as an exploration geologist at U.S. Borax/ U.S. Silica, as a senior staff geologist and project paleontologist at Zeiser-Kling Consultants, as a project geologist at Soil and Testing Engineers, and as the principal geologist and Western U.S. regional manager at Levine Fricke Recon. This expert also worked as an associate professor of geology at Saddleback College and at Irvine Valley College. He is currently the principal engineering geologist at an environmental consultancy in southern California.