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January 17, 2007
Local residents sue Motorola over Bluetooth hearing loss
Three Hampton Roads residents have filed lawsuits accusing Motorola of selling Bluetooth headsets without warning that the devices might cause hearing loss.
The suits are similar to dozens filed by Bluetooth users across the country. They are seeking class-action status.
Local residents Gary H. Litt, Mark Klinefelter and Ralph Cook filed their suits in U.S. District Court last week, naming Motorola and two other companies that helped develop the technology, Plantronics and Jabra.
Motorola manufactures and distributes Bluetooth headsets, which attach to the ear and allow hands-free cell phone use. The suits claim the companies have failed to warn consumers that the headsets could cause permanent hearing loss.
Motorola has declined to comment on the pending litigation.
Tests by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association showed that exposure to high volumes from a Bluetooth headset for even three or four minutes a day can cause inner ear damage, the lawsuits state. Prolonged use can cause irreversible hearing loss, according to the suits.
Each lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages and an injunction to stop the sale of the devices.
Efforts to reach Litt, Klinefelter and Cook and their attorneys were unsuccessful Tuesday.
http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=117689&ran=235396
Posted by 4HL on January 17, 2007 8:49 AM
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