Cell Phone Firms Hit By Lawsuits
WASHINGTON, United States -- Some of the biggest names in the mobile telephone industry are named as defendants in two class action lawsuits alleging links between cell phones and possible health risks, the Washington Post reported.
The lawsuits filed Thursday in state courts in Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York accuse the companies of knowingly marketing products that subject customers to harmful radiation, the Post said.
Among those named in the lawsuits filed by high profile lawyer Peter Angelos are telephone carriers Verizon Communications, Sprint PCS and Nextel Communications as well as equipment and telephone manufacturers Motorola, Nokia Corp and Ericcson.
The lawsuits allege links between cell phone use and an increased risk of brain damage, genetic irregularities and other health problems but no claim that anyone suffered an illness.
The newspaper said one lawsuit seeks unspecified punitive damages and money to reimburse people who bought cell phone headsets to reduce exposure to radiation. The other suit demands that wireless telephone companies provide customers with headsets, the Post said.
Industry representatives disputed claims of possible health risks linked to cell phones. Motorola's director of global strategic issues Norman Sandler was quoted as saying: "There is absolutely no credible scientific evidence of any health risks associated with the use of wireless phones."
Angelos is also helping with another lawsuit against the wireless industry in which a Baltimore neurologist claimed that his use of cell phones caused a malignant tumour.
Angelos helped the state of Maryland win US$4.2 billion (RM15.96 billion) in damages from the tobacco industry.
Source: Reuters/The Malay Mail
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