D.C. Court Rules Inadmissibility of Evidence that Failed to Show Cancer Link to Cell Phones
The allegation cell radiation causes cancer has been talked about for years.
WASHINGTON, April 26, 2023 – The Superior Court of D.C. ruled Tuesday that witness testimony presented as part of a plaintiff’s allegation that cell phones were causing illnesses was inadmissible because it failed to show a causation between the two.
The court held hearings in September 2022 in a consolidated case of 13 separate lawsuits to determine admissibility of evidence involving individuals suing Motorola, Nokia, Qualcomm, Samsung, and Audiovox Communications – all companies involved in the making of components of wireless equipment – for brain tumors and cancers either they or their clients suffered allegedly because of long-term exposure to cell phone radiation.
At issue in the case, which dates back many years, is whether the plaintiffs could bring evidence into the court showing a link between cancer and cell phone radiation.
On Tuesday, the D.C. court ruled that the plaintiffs expert testimony should not be admitted because it failed to show a causal link – falling short of a key legal test for evidence admissibility. In fact, the court said the data selected by the expert witnesses were, in part, cherry picked to bolster their case or contained methodological flaws.
In 2016, the D.C. appeals court ruled that another test for admission of expert testimony would be applied, which expanded the focus on reliable principles and methods have been reliably applied. But even with the change in scope, the D.C. court ruled the case for admissibility still fell flat.
“For years, the consensus of the international scientific community has been that wireless devices and networks do not cause adverse health effects,” said the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association in a statement. “The D.C. court’s decision carefully explains that claims to the contrary have no credible scientific basis. After decades of studies and more than twenty years of litigation, the court excluded each of the Plaintiffs’ expert witnesses claiming cell phones cause adverse health effects.
“This decision is consistent with the views of health experts around the world, including the World Health Organization, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institutes of Health,” the CTIA continued. “As the FDA recently explained, this consensus exists because ‘there is no consistent or credible scientific evidence of health problems caused by the exposure to radio frequency energy emitted by cell phones.’”
The alleged link between cancer and cell radiation has been taken up and told by individuals for decades. At a listening session of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, callers brought attention to “electromagnetically sensitive” people living near cell towers who claimed wireless technology was harmful to animals and people.
Websites dedicated to the matter, including Environmental Health Trust, have claimed dangers with the next generation 5G technology and have advocated against “unfettered” cell towers in residential areas.
