{"id":13101,"date":"2018-05-14T03:14:05","date_gmt":"2018-05-14T10:14:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/?p=13101"},"modified":"2018-05-14T03:29:31","modified_gmt":"2018-05-14T10:29:31","slug":"brit-dad-sues-nokia-for-up-to-1million-claiming-using-his-mobile-phone-caused-his-brain-tumour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/?p=13101","title":{"rendered":"Brit dad sues Nokia for up to \u00a31million claiming using his mobile phone caused his brain tumour"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

Neil Whitfield, 60, says he developed an acoustic neuroma tumour due to heavy phone use for his job in the late 1990s<\/p>\n

\u00a0By Grace Macaskill \u00a0\u00a012 MAY 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n

A salesman who suffered a brain tumour<\/b><\/a> is suing Nokia<\/b><\/a> for \u00ad\u201csignificant\u201d compensation which could hit \u00a31million \u2013 in a case that could cost mobile phone firms a fortune.<\/p>\n

Father-of-six Neil Whitfield, 60, claims heavy mobile phone<\/b><\/a> use in the late 1990s caused a deadly growth.<\/p>\n

His job meant using a phone for long spells \u2013 and in the days before it was illegal he had the gadget pressed to his ear while driving.<\/p>\n

Neil developed an acoustic neuroma tumour on a nerve between his inner ear and brain.<\/p>\n

He was left deaf in one ear after surgery in 2001 to remove a growth the size of a golf ball. He also suffers with balance problems.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

An x-ray of the tumour that appeared in Neil’s brain<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Neil said: \u201cI have no doubt my tumour was caused by mobile phones.<\/p>\n

\u201cI spent almost five years glued to my phone hours at a time until I was diagnosed. I could feel the heat coming off it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know this is going to be a real David and Goliath battle. It might take a while before it\u2019s settled but I won\u2019t give up.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is for the future of my children and kids everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Neil is the first Brit to sue a mobile phone company on these grounds and the case \u2013 six years in the making \u2013 could trigger hundreds of similar claims.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

His battle for \u201csignificant\u201d \u00adcompensation comes as a controversial report alleges cell phones could be behind a surge in certain tumours.<\/p>\n

Solicitor Katrina Pope, of London Corporate Legal, in Mayfair, expects to make a \u201cstrong claim\u201d by the end of 2018.<\/p>\n

Katrina, who has been working unpaid on the case since 2012, said: \u201cA win in the High Court could set a legal precedent for other cases which we are aware of and that are watching our progress.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is ultimately about justice for many people who have, akin to Neil, been victims of what some experts describe as the \u2018smoking gun of the 21st century\u2019.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"rain-Cardia-Mri\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Neil believes using his Nokia phone had a devastating effect on his health<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNeil\u2019s personal injury claim is outside the legal time frame of three years. We argue it\u2019s only now that the technology exists for radiation testing to allow us to bring the case \u2013 the first in Britain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Millions of Brits used Nokia phones in the 1990s. In 1995 just seven per cent of Brits had a cell phone but by 1999 one was sold every four seconds \u2013 and Nokia was the biggest manufacturer of mobiles.<\/p>\n

Figures published last week show cases of a brain tumour called glioblastoma in England rose from 983 to 2,531 between 1995 and 2015. It is found in the forehead and side regions of the brain.<\/p>\n

And a study in the Journal of Public Health and Environment found higher rates of tumours in the frontal \u00adtem-poral lobe which \u201craises the suspicion mobile and cordless phone use may be promoting gliomas\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"NOKIA-3310\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The surgeon who operated on Neil has not ruled out the possibility that the phone caused the tumour<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Neil, from Wigan, Gtr Manchester, had to give up his job as a construction material salesman because he refused to carry on using mobiles. His claim centres around years of lost income and reduced \u00adretirement payments after a \u00a320,000-a-year drop in pay to become a college lecturer.<\/p>\n

Katrina added: \u201cIt is quite possible that a claim for life-changing damages such as Neil\u2019s could achieve a compensation award in the region of \u00a31million.\u201d<\/p>\n

The law firm has commissioned experts to carry out radiation tests on Nokia phones used by Neil, including the 5510. Katrina said: \u201cThe evidence is being collated.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The surgeon who removed Neil\u2019s tumour at Manchester\u2019s Royal \u00adInfirmary, Professor Shakeel Saeed, said of the case: \u201cAt a personal level one cannot rule out the risk based on the current evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

The debate over possible hazards has raged for 20 years. Scientific studies have mostly concluded they pose no peril at the level of most people\u2019s use.<\/p>\n

One expert backing Neil, Dr Erica Mallery-Blythe, specialises in conditions related to radio frequency \u00adradiation and other \u00adelectromagnetic fields. She cited a study by the American National Toxicology Program, which she said demonstrated \u201cclear evidence\u201d of \u00adschwannoma \u2013 tumours of nerve sheath \u2013 after testing mobile phone radiation on rats.<\/p>\n

Occupational and environmental consultant Colin Purnell said older phones held a greater risk because there were fewer masts in the 1990s and mobiles had to emit greater radiation levels to pick up signals.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Neil’s phones will be subject to radiation tests as part of the court battle<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Cancer Research moved to quell panic, saying there is no conclusive evidence that mobiles cause problems.<\/p>\n

Dr Lion Shahab, senior lecturer in \u00adepidemiology and public health at \u00adUniversity College London, said: \u201cMany environmental and lifestyle factors have changed. While there has been a rise in this type of tumour, it would be premature to conclude this is due to mobile phones.\u201d<\/p>\n

While experts are divided on the risks, Neil, meanwhile, told how his life has been greatly affected. He said: \u201cI can\u2019t even wear a hearing aid because all my inner ear organs had to be removed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I go swimming and close my eyes I go round in circles. I loved music but I\u2019ve been robbed of that too because the stereo element has been taken away.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMy youngest son Harry, 13, is desperate for a mobile but I worry about giving him one. Companies should at least put \u00adwarnings on packaging so people can make informed choices. I just hope the legal action makes a change for the good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last night Nokia said safety \u201chas always been a key consideration\u201d.<\/p>\n

A spokesman said: \u201cAll products comply with \u00adinternational exposure guidelines and limits that are set by public health \u00adauthorities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe World Health \u00adOrganisation factsheet states that \u2018A large number of studies have been performed over the last two decades to assess whether mobile phones pose a potential health risk. To date, no adverse health effects have been \u00adestablished for mobile phone use\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

More radiation as old phones found a signal<\/b><\/h2>\n

Experts claim old mobile phones carried a greater health risk than modern units as they produced greater radiation to receive signals.<\/p>\n

Colin Purnell, an environmental consultant, says early models had to emit more radiofrequency to connect with fewer masts available in the 1990s.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cIf you are looking at something in the distance and you can\u2019t see it you might want to use a pair of binoculars to improve the power of your eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it\u2019s the same with mobile phones. In the old days there weren\u2019t as many masts as now and if you operated your phone in a bad signal area it chucked out more radiation to find the power base. The risk associated with mobile phone use now is probably less then in the \u201990s.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are more masts and the technology is better to detect signals without a lot of radiation.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the way people use their phones today \u2013 using texts or Skype \u2013 also reduces the risk because it keeps phones away from the face.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

World is glued to UK case<\/b><\/h2>\n

An Italian lawyer whose landmark case ruled a link between tumours and mobile phones said Neil\u2019s battle would be watched by the world.<\/p>\n

Stefano Bertone won a state-funded pension for Roberto Romeo, 57, after claiming excessive mobile use caused his acoustic neuroma tumour \u2013 the same type as Neil\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Roberto who used his phone for work for three to four hours every day for 15 years.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A court in Ivrea, Italy, awarded him \u00a3418 a month under a government workplace insurance scheme.<\/p>\n

Stefano said: \u201cWe watch the UK case with interest. The argument required to prove causation in Roberto\u2019s case against a government agency was less than would be required in a case against the manufacturer. The outcome in Mr Whitfield\u2019s case will be used in other cases across the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn America the class action is tied up in lengthy legal process, so Europe really is leading the field.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/uk-news\/brit-dad-sues-nokia-up-12523446<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Neil Whitfield, 60, says he developed an acoustic neuroma tumour due to heavy phone use for his job in the late 1990s \u00a0By Grace Macaskill \u00a0\u00a012 MAY 2018 A salesman who suffered a brain tumour is suing Nokia for \u00ad\u201csignificant\u201d compensation which could hit \u00a31million \u2013 in a case that could cost mobile phone […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[540,345,10,21,6,481,312,310,3,480,366,574,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-3g","category-4g","category-tumour","category-cancer","category-cellular","category-ct-scan","category-england","category-europe","category-health_and_safety","category-mri","category-neurinoma","category-nokia","category-wireless_devices"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13101"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13101\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13104,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13101\/revisions\/13104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}