Welding Trial Ends Without Award
December 7, 2005
A jury returned a verdict declaring that a man's Parkinson's disease was not caused by his exposure to welding fumes while on the job. Despite their verdict, many jury members admitted that they thought there might be some scientific basis for the claim, but there wasn't enough scientific evidence to prove the link.
Scientists around the country are scrambling to try and prove that the link exists between the burning of certain welding materials and the development of brain damage. Jurors also admitted that they were hopeful that future cases would have the evidence to back up their claims and make the link between welding and Parkinson's more clearly proven.
The trial lasted for five weeks in Madison County, IL courts and was being closely watched around the country because of its potentially record setting verdict. The plaintiff, Steve Boren, 51, of Cape Girardeau, MO worked as a welder for decades around Madison County.
The verdict was handed down late last week and found the defendants, including the companies BOC Group Inc., ESAB Group, Lincoln Electric Co., Praxair Inc., TDY Industries, Union Carbide Corp., and Viacom, not guilty.
Other welding rod lawsuits have been filed around the country but only one has ever been won. The winning case came in 2003 when a Madison County jury found the plaintiff's claim to be legitimate and awarded him $1 million in damages.To learn more about manganese exposure and its various side effects, contact a manganese attorney.
