Bibeau v. Pacific Northwest Research Foundation, Inc.

980 F. Supp. 349, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12903
District Court, D. Oregon·Decided July 28, 1997·No. No. CIV. 95-06410-HO·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

ORDER

HOGAN, District Judge.

Before the court are defendants’ motions for summary judgment (#s 143, 150, 154, 160). Defendants Pacific Northwest Research Foundation (PNRF), Mavis Rowley (Rowley), Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories (BPNL), and Dr. Daniel Diiaconi (Diiaconi) argue that summary judgment should be granted because plaintiffs’ claims are barred by the statute of limitations, and they are shielded from liability by qualified immunity. PNRF and Rowley also argue that their motion for summary judgment should be granted because their research was conducted in good faith. Defendant Diiaconi also argues that his motion for summary judgment should be granted as to plaintiffs’ federal claims because he is not subject to Bivens liability, and as to plaintiffs’ state claims because plaintiffs never provided tort claims notice, and ORS 30.265(1) bars plaintiffs’ state law claims against him. Having considered the briefs filed by the parties, and materials submitted therewith and in opposition to, the court finds as follows:

I. BACKGROUND FACTS

Plaintiffs, husband and wife, on their own behalf and as representatives of a class of similarly situated" persons, claim that from 1963 to 1973 defendants conspired to fraudulently induce prisoners in custody of the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) to volunteer for a program of experiments, [352] known as the Heller experiments (Experiments), testing the effects of radiation exposure to the testes. The Experiments involved irradiating inmates’ testes with x-ray radiation, and, allegedly, injecting inmates with radioactive substances. Participation in the Experiments required subjects to undergo biopsies and to agree to a vasectomy as a condition of participation. Plaintiffs allege that they were not fully informed of all the potential risks of participation in the Experiments, and that they were deliberately mislead as to potential health, consequences. Thus, they claim, although they consented to participation in the Experiments, the consent was not sufficiently well-informed to be valid.

Harold Bibeau, the only named plaintiff/subject in this action, was a subject in the Experiments from 1965 to 1969, while an inmate at the DOC. Bibeau contends that Dr. Heller mislead him as to the risks and potential long term health consequences of participation in the Experiments, including an alleged increased risk of cancer.1

Dr. Heller informed Bibeau that the purpose of the Experiments was to study the effects of radiation on human testes. Dr. Heller also informed Bibeau that his participation in the Experiments would require periodic testicular biopsies and an x-ray exposure of his testes. He also was informed that he would be required to undergo a vasectomy at the conclusion of his participation, because of the chance that there could be chromosomal damage, which could produce mutated offspring. Heller also informed Bi-beau that he might experience some reddening of the skin in his groin area,-akin to a sunburn, that would last a few days, but no other long-term health consequences. Dr. Heller did not inform Bibeau that exposure to radiation might lead to an increased risk of cancer.

Bibeau consented in writing to participation in the Experiments. He agreed “to submit to x-ray radiation exposure of [his] scrotum and testes ... to donate urine samples, semen samples, and blood samples periodically ... to a surgical procedure known as a testicular biopsy, performed a number of times ... to a vasectomy operation at the completion of the experimental procedures.” Bibeau acknowledged “that sterility may result from these procedures,” and “that there may be some skin burn from the radiation.” Bibeau was paid for his participation in the Experiments.

Defendant Dr. Leon performed Bibeau’s first biopsy related to the experiments in January, 1965. Bibeau experienced testicular swelling in the hours following the procedure, and sharp testicular pains over the next few days. Bibeau indicates that he had not been warned about these symptoms.

On September 29, 1965, Bibeau underwent his first and only x-ray session as a participant in the Experiments. He received 18.5 rads of radiation. After the procedure, Bi-beau did not report any pain, only a warm feeling in his testicles which dissipated the next day.

Bibeau underwent several testicular biopsies after his single exposure to radiation. Bibeau experienced “excruciating pain” during “a couple” of the biopsies. He claimed that “[i]t feels like you’ve hit yourself on the crossbar of a bicycle, where you have an excruciating pain that starts in your testicle and radiates clear up into your side, and you have the reflex to immediately dive into a fetal position.” Bibeau allegedly was told that the post-biopsy pain was normal and temporary.

Bibeau underwent a vasectomy in late 1968 or early 1969 prior to his release from prison. His participation in the Experiments ended with his release from prison.

In the 1970s, Bibeau experienced recurring sharp testicular pain. Like the pain he suffered after biopsies were performed, he felt “a shooting pain that goes from the testicle up into the midsection of [his] body.” Plaintiff continued to suffer from bouts of this pain until at least 1994. Bibeau claims that he did not associate his recurring, excruciating testicular pain with similar pain he suffered immediately after being biopsied. Rather, he attributed his recurring testicular pain, which he describes as a common male [353] health problem, to sitting for too long in one position.

In the early 1970s, Bibeau also began to suffer from “an ongoing, periodic groin rash,” which appeared on the very tops of the insides of [his] legs.” Bibeau explains that “his skin turns brown it gets itchy.” Bibeau contends that his groin rash is merely “common male jock itch.” In 1979, Bibeau also noticed a “lymph node lump” on his left arm and back, and a wart on the inside of his upper right leg.

Bibeau did not consult a medical doctor regarding his testicular pain, or tell any medical doctor about his participation in the Experiments, until 1997.

Dr. Heller, and his colleagues published the results of the Experiments in several scientific journals available to the public. A series of articles published from 1965 to 1974 by Heller and defendant Mavis Rowley in various scientific journals addressed the design, goals, methods and findings of the Experiments. Bibeau was informed at the outset of his involvement in the Experiments that the results would be published in scientific journals.

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Bibeau v. Pacific Northwest Research Foundation, Inc., 980 F. Supp. 349, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12903 (D. Or. 1997).

980 F. Supp. 349 (Bibeau v. Pacific Northwest Research Foundation, Inc.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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