- with Inhouse Counsel
Karen M. Johnson (Of Counsel-San Francisco) authored “Genetic Causation and Mesothelioma: The Emerging Role of BAP1 in Asbestos and Talc Litigation,” appearing in the February 10, 2026, edition of the Daily Journal. The article explores the expanding role of genomic testing in the defense of medical causation claims. Karen examines the science behind BAP1 mutations, their inheritability, and their link to mesothelioma and other cancers, positioning them as a potential alternative or contributing cause in asbestos and talc cases. Also discussed are strategic considerations, including the use of survival statistics as a defense “to avoid the accelerated timing of preferential trial settings and help afford the time necessary to put on genetic defenses,” as well as the increasing willingness of the courts to permit expert testimony on BAP1-related causation. Karen notes that as genomic science continues to advance and courts increasingly engage with genetic evidence in toxic tort matters, “BAP1 testing is likely to become an increasingly valuable component of the defense’s medical causation strategy in mesothelioma litigation.”
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