51. Twitch & Shout.
- Author
-
Egan, Mary Ellen
- Subjects
ACTIONS & defenses (Law) ,FRAUD ,WELDING rods ,EMPLOYERS' liability ,PRODUCT liability - Abstract
The article reports on welding-rod litigation in the manufacturing industry, in light of a $1 million award to an Illinois maintenance worker who convinced a jury in 2003 that the manganese fumes emitted during welding caused his Parkinson's. In December the first two welding cases in a mass tort with 5,300 claimants imploded amid charges of faked injuries. The lead lawyer is tobacco tort king Richard (Dickie) Scruggs. The physician who saw the majority of claimants is Dr. Paul Nausieda, medical director of the Regional Parkinson's Center in Milwaukee. According to defense attorney John Beisner, the scenario went like this: Scruggs and fellow plaintiff lawyer John (Don) Barrett ran TV and print ads in the United States advising welders that they could be entitled to monetary awards if they had symptoms ranging from headaches to insomnia. In one case plaintiff Dewey Morgan admitted in his deposition to lying on his questionnaire, and the other case was pulled, says Beisner, because plaintiff Scott Landry had a history of cocaine and alcohol abuse that could account for most of his symptoms.
- Published
- 2006