Subject: (Dumpe) cellphone tumor (fwd)
Date: Mon, 18 Jan 1999 052128 -0600 (CST)
From: "Roy L. Beavers" <rbeavers@llion.org>
To: emfguru <rbeavers@llion.org>
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........I think there will be much interest in the following. Notice
how the company (in South Africa) is handling the matter. Just like in
the U.S. (Probably the company is owned by a U.S. company.)....guru....
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 17 Jan 1999 22:55:21 -0500
From: Bdumpe@worldbank.org
To: rriedlin@uniserve.com
Cc: rbeavers@llion.org, pdepippo@aol.com
Subject: cellphone tumor
Robert: Thanks for forwarding this hot news item. If it moves forward it could
be another Reynard scare type case. Reynard is the man in Florida who sued the
cellphone carrier because his wife, who used the phone constantly during her
pregnancy, developed a brain tumor. In fact her story was pretty similar to this
one. The tumor killed Reynard's wife shortly after she gave birth to his son.
Hope this case makes headlines like the Reynard case did.
Roy: Copying you because I think Alastair Graham (?) in South Africa should be
alerted. Maybe he can help publicize this?
Robert's article:
>>>>>>><<<<<<<<
27 December 1998
News
'Cellphones to blame for my tumour'
Man wants more than R500m and a health warning on phones
LAURICE TAITZ
APRETORIA man is suing two cellphone companies for more than
R500-million because he developed a brain tumour which, he claims, was caused by
his cellphone. Terry Hutchings, 47, is suing M-Tel and Vodac in his personal
capacity and on behalf of "the citizens of South Africa" who have used
cellphones and services manufactured, marketed or supplied by the two companies.
Hutchings's lawyer, Peter Soller, said he was suing the
companies as they provided airtime contracts and were responsible for the
transmission of cellphone signals.
Hutchings was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour in
July. In August surgeons removed a tumour "the size of a golf ball". He has
undergone radiation treatment 33 times and has developed epilepsy.
"I have had a cellphone since the day the networks
switched them on," he said. "I used to spend a few hours a month talking on my
phone.
"In February I kept noticing peculiar smells and there
was a buzzing in my right ear. Then my ear started to tingle and I experienced a
burning sensation. It would come and go but it got worse as time went on."
Hutchings is suing the two companies in terms of the
Constitution, which proclaims the right to dignity, the right to life and to
bodily and psychological integrity.
According to the particulars of the claim, Vodac and
M-Tel are being held responsible for launching and issuing cellular phones and
for causing transmission devices to be set up that emit a radio frequency which
is known or ought to be known by them as being potentially harmful.
Hutchings is suing for R2,5-million for pain and
suffering, for the emotional trauma of dealing with the probability of premature
death and leaving behind his wife and two young sons, and for not being able to
provide the care and financial support to which he was accustomed before having
the tumour removed.
He is suing for a further R500-million on behalf of all
people who have been adversely affected. He has asked the court to order that
all cellphone suppliers issue warnings that their systems may be harmful to
humans.
MTN's spokesman, Jacques Sellschop, said M-Tel had
received the summons and handed it to lawyers.
"There is no conclusive scientific proof which links
brain cancer causally with cellphone radiation," he said. "For every claim to
this effect, there is another to dispute it.
"However, MTN puts the welfare of its users ahead of all
other considerations in this respect. We have commissioned the CSIR to research
and report on any radiation emitted from cellular terminal equipment in
different environments and locations. And we have commissioned the department of
neurology at the University of Pretoria Medical School to do research into
neurological effects, if any, resulting from the use of cellular equipment."
Tanya Cain, the general manager in charge of finance at
Vodac, said the matter had been handed to the company's attorneys and they would
be defending it accordingly.
| Top of page |
TUMOUR VICTIM Terry Hutchings
If you have thoughts about this article, then have your
say in one of our discussion forums, or send an e-mail to our editor at
suntimes@tml.co.za
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Archive provided courtesy of WaveGuide, http://www.wave-guide.org
Reprinted with permission of Roy Beavers, http://www.feb.se/EMF-L/EMF-L.html