Manganism or welder's disease is a very slow developing condition that is difficult to prove as a direct result of the welding rod use. Since Parkinson's disease is also developed late in life, many of the legal battles have been over the exact cause of the Parkinson's like conditions, and if they are, in fact, related to the use of welding rods.
Workers that are engaged in lawsuits for welding rod toxicity are suing the welding rod manufacturers for not correctly identifying and informing welders of the dangers and health risks of inhaling the fumes produced when the rods are super heated to weld.