Interview with Mr. James Ferraro, author of BLINDSIDED

                                 

 

Hello everyone. I want to take this time to say that we have a thrilling court case book and it’s based on a true story. This story in the book actually happened. So I hope you prepare yourself to read such an intriguing interview to say the least.  This particular case that’s written by Mr. Ferraro is one that everyone should know about and be aware of. So, I just want to thank the author for sharing this with the world. 

Furthermore, I urge you to check out the book trailer of Blindsided by simply clicking the link:
www.dropbox.com/s/wiqbmt0vu7yzst8/Blind%20Sideded%2045sec%20052317%20(ProjectBlindsided)_1.mp4?dl=0

1.    Could you tell me a little bit about yourself and how you became a successful lawyer? 

I started my law firm two years out of law school in 1985. By the late 1980’s   I was involved with asbestos litigation which is a mass tort practice.  By the     early 90’s my law firm was performing above my wildest expectations.  The     first asbestos case that I took to trial was for a friend of a business agent for        a large union.  The trial was successful and the business agent thereafter   referred hundreds of cases to my law firm.

2. Could you give a brief summary about Blindsided: One man’s fight for a child born without eyes? 

The book is about a child born without eyes due to his mother’s exposure to a very dangerous fungicide between seven and ten weeks into her pregnancy.  The exposure caused her child to be born without eyes. The case went to trial against DuPont. The trial involved testimony from thirteen different expert witnesses due to the difficulty in proving a chemical exposure case.  The science is very difficult in chemical exposure cases because ethically you cannot test chemicals on pregnant women.  The trial resulted in the first verdict worldwide against a chemical company for a birth defect.

3. Why did you take this particular case in the first place?

The plaintiff was very emotional and suffered a grave injustice.  However, I was not going to take the case due to the extreme level of difficulty.  After some limited research we found a study where the chemical was tested on pregnant rats and 43% of the rat offspring were born with no eyes or other ocular abnormalities.  Even though the deck was stacked against us, we decided we would take a shot.

4. Could you explain the purpose in writing about this case? What do you want readers to get out of it after reading it?

We are writing about the case because the law regarding the admission of science in the courtroom needs to be changed.  Currently, defendants like DuPont seek to exclude science under the guise of junk science.  In this particular case, DuPont was seeking to exclude some of the science that they submitted to the EPA to get their product licensed.  I believe a law should be written whereby a corporation or individual who submits scientific data to a governmental agency for licensing purposes is admissible in a court of law.

5.  What is your writing habit? How did you balance being a lawyer and writing this book?

I was spending a minimum of four to eight hours per setting.  It is a very difficult balance trying to practice law and writing a book of this nature at the same time.  The last year was very grueling but rewarding.

6. Did your experience with the case change you in anyway?

The case gave me a very deep insight into how the public is subject to grave injustices when it comes to pursuing a corporation like DuPont on a technical issue like science.

7.  If (or when) the book becomes a movie, would you do a cameo?

When the book becomes a movie I will consider a cameo appearance in a limited capacity as one of my adversaries.

8. Have you kept in touch with anyone from the case? If so, can you update readers about them (particularly the woman and her baby)?  

 I have had limited contact with the plaintiffs over the years as a form of respect to their privacy and to allow them to move on with their lives.  I know the family is doing well and I am very happy that we were able to make a difference in their lives.

9. Are you working on another book?  If so, could you talk a bit about it?

I have not started thinking about another book yet.  I wouldn’t rule it out.

10. What was the most surprising thing you learned writing this book?

The most surprising thing that I learned about writing a book is how many writers accept less than perfection.  I am a perfectionist and I wanted this story told clearly with absolutely no typos or blemishes.  I was surprised to see how many writers are comfortable putting out a product that is less than perfect.

11.  Have you ever considered writing legal fiction books like John Grisham?

I have not considered fiction at this point.

12. Where could one purchase Blindsided: One man’s fight for a child born without eyes?

Blindsided can be purchased at Amazon (www.amazon.com/Blindsided-Crusade-Against-Chemical-DuPont/dp/1469036002), Books-A-Million, Barnes & Noble or at any major airport in the United States.

13. Last question, as a lawyer who would you defend in a trial between Batman V. Superman?  

I would probably represent Superman as Superman is pure good, unlike Batman, who has a little bit of a dark side.

I’m very pleased to inform all my readers about this nonfiction book. I also want to thank Mr. James Ferraro for answering my questions. I really hope anyone reading this interview would check out this gripping true story novel. If you want to reach Mr. James Ferraro click this link to get to his website: https://projectblindsided.com/  Thanks for stopping by to read yet another interview by an excellent author. Take care and hope to see you here again.