• 14 AUG 14
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    Major breakthrough in cellphone industry product liability lawsuit in USA

    From Joel M. Moskowitz, Ph.D.:

    Joel’s comments: This superior court ruling enables the discovery phase of the trial to begin. Perhaps, we will soon learn whether the wireless industry has been covering up knowledge of the health risks of mobile phone use.

    The insurance industry has refused to provide product liability insurance on cell phones primarily due to this concern as they fear that cell phone litigation may turn out like tobacco or asbestos litigation did with huge punitive awards.

    My most recent press release, “FCC: 98 Scientific Experts Demand Stronger Regulation of Cellphone Radiation” makes the case that the scientific community has known for many years about the health risks of mobile phone radiation. The wireless industry, however, has confused government officials and the public by co-opting scientists to support the industry’s disinformation campaign to buy time.

    Court Allows Expert Testimony in Litigation Alleging Cell Phone-Linked Tumors According to Consumers’ Legal Team
    PR Newswire

    WASHINGTON Aug. 8 2014

    WASHINGTON Aug. 8 2014 /PRNewswire/ — A Washington D.C. superior court ruled that five scientific expert witnesses can testify for consumers suffering from brain tumors allegedly caused or promoted by cell phone use Ashcraft & Gerel LLP Morganroth and Morganroth PLLC Lundy Lundy Soileau & South L.L.P. and co-counsel said today.

    Judge Frederick H. Weisberg who is presiding over 13 consolidated lawsuits against the telecom industry ruled that experts met the Dyas/Frye legal standards and can offer testimony related to injury causation and health effects. The court held evidentiary hearings in December 2013 and January 2014 and reviewed hundreds of exhibits.

    Judge Weisberg noted that while the court did not decide the issue of whether cell phones cause brain tumors new scientific studies and information have emerged recently. His order referred to a May 2014 French case-control epidemiological study that found support for “a possible association between heavy mobile phone use” and brain tumors.

    Each of the plaintiffs in the litigation suffers from a brain tumor or is suing for a family of someone who died of brain cancer.

    The plaintiffs are represented by Morganroth and Morganroth PLLC of Birmingham Mich.; Ashcraft & Gerel LLP of Washington D.C. and Lundy Lundy Soileau & South LLP of Lake Charles La.; The Knoll Law Firm LLC of Marksville La.; Pribanic & Pribanic LLC of Pittsburgh; Frasier Frasier & Hickman LLP of Tulsa Okla.; and Bernstein Liebhard LLP of New York.

    Hunter Lundy of Lundy Lundy Soileau & South LLP said “The telecom industry argued for years that cell phone consumer litigants could not produce scientists who could relate exposure to cell phone radiation to tumors. The ruling today refutes that contention and our experts’ opinions having met the Dyas/Frye test are admissible.”

    Jeffrey B. Morganroth of Morganroth and Morganroth PLLC said “We now have opinions and testimony from prominent scientific experts that will be admissible and support our clients’ claims that cell phone radiation can cause brain tumors in humans. With this landmark ruling the cases are moving forward to fact discovery.”

    Michelle Parfitt and James F. Green of Ashcraft & Gerel LLP said “The evidence presented at the evidentiary hearings months ago only included publicly available materials and did not include any testing data or information in possession of the defendants. We will seek that information as soon as possible.”

    The first of the consolidated cases is “Michael Patrick Murray et al. v. Motorola Inc. et al.” Case No. 2001 CA 008479 B in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia. The defendants in the cases are Motorola Inc. Qualcomm Inc. Nokia Inc. Audiovox Communications Corp. and Samsung Telecomm American LLC.

    Contact: Erin Powers Powers MediaWorks LLC for Ashcraft Gerel LLP info@powersmediaworks.com.

    SOURCE Ashcraft & Gerel LLP

    PR Newswire http://www.prnewswire.com/
    Last updated on: 09/08/2014

    http://bit.ly/1r1fns9

    Joel M. Moskowitz, Ph.D.
    Director, Center for Family and Community Health
    School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley
    Center: http://cfch.berkeley.edu

    Electromagnetic Radiation Safety

    Website: http://www.saferemr.com
    Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SaferEMR
    News Releases: http://pressroom.prlog.org/jmm716/
    Twitter: @berkeleyprc

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