When the Washington Post trumpets the headline "More Dumb Lawsuits" on its editorial page, you know this one has to be way off base, and it is. In this case the Washington Post is attacking trial lawyer Peter G. Angelos, well known for his class action lawsuits against the asbestos industry and his suits against the tobacco industry, yet perhaps better known for being the most hated owner in baseball.
So whats Mr. Angelos up to this time? It seems he recently filed class action lawsuits in Maryland and three other states against major cell phone manufacturers claiming they failed to warn customers about health risks that they allegedly have long known of. Sound familiar?
Never mind that these risks may not exist, and in this case the media, the public and even the medical community arent buying it. In fact, the Journal of the American Medical Association recently published a study that found no link between tumors and cell phone radiation. This was backed up by similar findings from the National Institutes of Health and a widely reported Danish study.
To be fair, there are those who believe that cell phones pose health risks, but millions have been spent on health studies, millions more will be, and there is yet no empirical evidence to support the hypothesis.
No matter, Mr. Angelos has never been one to let the facts or lack thereof stand in the way of a potentially lucrative class action. What makes matters worse is that Angelos himself acknowledges that the risks posed by cell phones are not proven and, in fact, he does not claim any cell phone user has actually been harmed. Yet, hes asking for punitive damages on behalf of cell phone users in those four states and wants manufacturers to give away free headsets as a precautionary measure. According to the Washington Post, Angelos believes this will ensure that "the public knows that the potential hazard exists." Huh? Will he call Chicken Little as his expert witness? Even teenagers trading baseball cards understand that "free" comes with a cost.
Lets hope the courts dispatch this lawsuit as efficiently as opposing teams have relegated Angelos Orioles to next-to-last place. No offense to Os fans, but perhaps their owner should spend more time focused on the team than in filing frivolous lawsuits.
2001