A cordless phone firm was sued for $50 million.

Claiming permanent ear damage to hundreds of people from cordless phones, a St. Louis attorney filed a class-action suit against cordless phone manufacturer Uniden Corp. of Huntington Beach. Attorney Stephen G. Schumaier, who won a $150,000 settlement for a St. Louis psychiatrist last October after the man contended that he suffered minor but permanent hearing loss from using a cordless phone, alleged that Uniden knew its phones were harmful as early as 1979 but did not modify the phones or take them off the market. Uniden officials could not be reached for comment. To date, the FDA has received 127 complaints from people claiming hearing problems or loss of hearing from a variety of brands of cordless phones.