Welding Fumes Experts Say Litigation Has Negative Impact on Research

ST. LOUIS - Researchers who have appeared in welding fume cases assert in a recent article in the peer-reviewed journal Neurology that litigation has an adverse affect on scientific research, creating bias and conflicts of interest (Neurology 2006 67: 2124-2128).

Drs. Brad A. Racette and Joel S. Perlmutter of the American Parkinson Disease Association and the Washington University School of Medicine were co-authors of the article, along with lawyers Ann Bradley of Washington University's Office of General Counsel and Carrie A. Wrisberg of Moser and Marsalek in St. Louis.

The Racette group asserts in the Dec. 26 issue of Neurology, …