Welding Company, Work Injuries
In a closely watched case unfolding in federal court, a jury is being asked to take up an intriguing question that has confounded many medical researchers: Can welding fumes cause neurological diseases such as Parkinson's?
The lawsuit was brought by a former welder who suffers arm tremors and other movement problems that he says could be Parkinson's. Ernest G. Solis, 57, of Corpus Christi, is seeking unspecified damages from four welding rod makers.
It is the first trial among about 3,800 lawsuits from around the country that have been consolidated in federal court in Cleveland. Solis' case could set the ground rules for the other lawsuits.
At issue is whether manganese — a chemical element found in vitamin supplements, tea, nuts and grain, as well as the fumes from burning welding rods — can at high exposures lead to tremors or shaking, poor balance and difficulty walking and swallowing.
Companies that make welding equipment argue that a link between fumes and Parkinson's has not been established, and that in any case, warning labels and welding safety equipment minimize any risk.
~Associated Press
