Judge Denies Request to Sanction Welding Case
Feb 28th , 2006
A request to sanction plaintiffs for bringing frivolous cases regarding alleged links between welding fumes and Parkinson's disease has been denied by a federal judge.
Judge Kathleen O'Malley is overseeing lawsuits that claim that fumes that workers and welders had inhaled over a period of time has caused them to develop neurological disorders.
The fumes in question contain manganese which can cause neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease. These symptoms include tremors, lethargy, impaired concentration, speech difficulties and awkward gait. Parkinson's from manganese exposure continues to progress clinically even years later, when traces of manganese can no longer be detected in the body.
The companies that are being sued are now asking that Judge O’Malley request a more stringent medical testing of those who make the claims that their disabilities actually come from the exposure to the welding fumes.
Previously, Judge O’Malley allowed arguments that linked welding and Parkinson's together.
Still, though, the defendant companies that make welding products claim the two are simply not linked.
