Litigation

Blogging From DRI's Product Liability Conference: Chemical And Toxic Torts

By Bruce Nye

    I want to learn more about this, but if it works as advertised, this is  something pretty amazing.  Bruce Gillis, M.D., MPH, from The Cytokine Institute made a presentation yesterday afternoon.  The institute describes its business related to toxic torts this way: 

    What this means in the world of toxic torts:  they undertake challenge testing of a plaintiff or decedent's DNA, exposing the DNA to the chemicals alleged to have made him or her sick.  If the challenge comes back positive, it only means it could have caused the disease.  But if it comes back negative, there is no way. 

    So far, they've studied the genomic changes unique to lead exposures, and those unique to exposures to a variety of molds. Obviously, most lead exposures don't cause the neurological symptoms associated with lead, most mold exposures don't cause the associated respiratory symptoms, most benzene exposures don't cause leukemia, etc.  And The Cytokine Institute claims that it can use this challenge testing with DNA samples to determine whether a plaintiff is one of the few individuals who could have the illness or disease from the exposure, or in the vast majority of persons who could not.

Full post as published by CalBizLit on April 17, 2009 (boomark / email).