What the Experts Are Saying: 3M Industrial Hygienist Alan R. Johnston

The following was excerpted from the trial testimony of 3M industrial hygienist Alan Ray Johnston given during the case of William Gore v. 3M Company, which ended with a verdict in favor of respirator manufacturer 3M.

Plaintiff William Gore, a 70-year-old former sandblaster, who alleged that he was exposed to silica during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, sued 3M for allegedly causing his conglomerate silicosis.

Following a week-long trial, jurors in the Orange County District Court determined that there were no design or marketing defects in the company's 8710 and 8500 respirators that Gore said he wore while working at …