Several brands of very popular baby foods contain high levels of heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, lead, and cadmium. These heavy metals are well-known neurotoxins. Consuming these toxic metals in baby foods may have caused thousands of children to develop autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Many parents are filing a toxic baby food lawsuit to protect their children, alleging claims against the manufacturers of these contaminated baby foods. These baby food autism lawsuits allege the manufacturers knew about heavy metals in their products, and children developed autism from consuming them. Growing concern that Tylenol during pregnancy may cause autism has led to a class action lawsuit for those autism lawsuits as well. The science linking the mother’s Tylenol use with ADHD and autism is strong. Baby Food Autism Lawsuit Updates Before we dive into the substance of the baby food autism lawsuit, let’s look at where we are in the litigation: September 14, 2023 California lawmakers passed AB 899, requiring baby food manufacturers to monthly test products for toxic elements like heavy metals. By 2025, these products must have a QR code linking to the test results. The law will ban sales of non-compliant baby foods. September 5, 2023 Beech-Nut Nutrition. is asking a federal appeals court to uphold the dismissal of consumer lawsuits concerning heavy metals in baby foods. The company argues that these matters should be resolved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rather than the courts. Parents allege that Beech-Nut failed to disclose the presence of arsenic, arsenic, and other toxic metals in its food for children. The claim is not for personal injury in these cases but overpayment for the cost of the product. September 1, 2023 Plaintiffs suffered a hit in this baby food litigation when, after a Sargon hearing, a Los Angeles, California state court judge deemed inadmissible the expert opinion that a child developed autism and attention deficit disorders from consuming baby food allegedly tainted with harmful heavy metals. A Sargon hearing refers to a specific type of evidentiary hearing in California state courts concerning the admissibility of expert witness testimony. The name derives from the case “Sargon Enterprises, Inc. v. University of Southern California,” which the California Supreme Court decided in 2012. In this case, the court clarified the trial court’s role as a gatekeeper in evaluating the admissibility of expert testimony. In this Sargon hearing, Superior Court of Los Angeles County Judge Lawrence Riff found that an expert’s testimony at the hearing was not scientifically valid due to flawed methodology behind his conclusions. It is easy to prove heavy metals cause autism. The challenge for plaintiffs in these cases is proving specific causation because lead is not only in baby food it is everywhere. This is just one judge’s opinion in one case. But is it a tough blow for plaintiffs? Absolutely. July 14, 2023 A Texas family who believes their son’s brain damage is due to the presence of heavy metals in baby food produced by Hain Celestial Group has urged a federal appeals court to restore their suit against Hain and retailer Whole Foods. After the district court unjustly dismissed Whole Foods from the case and denied its return to Texas state court, the case proceeded against Hain Celestial, resulting in Hain’s victory midtrial due to the plaintiffs’ inability to demonstrate that the heavy metals caused the alleged damage. The family argues that they presented sufficient evidence linking the heavy metals to their son’s ailment, and thus, a jury trial should have been conducted. June 26, 2023 In a recent investigation by Consumer Reports, it has been found that heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium, and lead continue to persist in some baby food brands, a concern first raised five years ago. Notwithstanding the calls for manufacturers to ensure healthier baby foods, major brands such as Earth’s Best Organic, Gerber and Hot Kid still exhibit variable levels of these harmful metals in their products. Such exposure can potentially impair children’s IQ and cause developmental issues. The report underscores the need for the Food and Drug Administration to instigate stricter regulations on permissible levels of toxic metals in baby foods. Foods primarily made from rice, sweet potatoes, and carrots were identified as carrying the highest risk, largely due to the ways they are farmed. Consumer Reports plan future tests for heavy metal contamination in baby foods and related products. June 1, 2023 The first (real) baby food autism lawsuit will likely go to trial in California in just four months in October 2023. It will be the first real test of what the jury thinks of the science of these lawsuits. March 23, 2023 The FDA has raised concerns about how serious it is about keeping children safe by quietly removing the deadlines for setting guidelines to reduce toxic metals in baby food from its website. The lack of urgency and explanation for this change is as frustrating as it is unsurprising. March 15, 2023 Hain Celestial Group Inc. secured a midtrial judgment in a lawsuit filed by a family claiming that heavy metals in its Earth’s Best baby and toddler foods caused their son’s severe autism. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas determined that the family could not demonstrate that lead, arsenic, and other heavy metals could generally cause the alleged harm, which proved fatal to their case. Is this a blow for plaintiffs in baby food autism lawsuits? Not really. There was no qualified expert who testified in this case that ingestion of heavy metals could cause the range of symptom the child suffers from in this case. There was also no evidence proferred regarding the level of ingestion required to cause those symptoms. The judge, correctly, said that the plaintiffs did not prove their case. Ultimately, you need the right experts in these cases and that is what we are hoping so see in the trial in California set for October. March 8, 2023 A new autism baby food lawsuit was filed in federal court in Nevada last week with five plaintiffs who allege Beech-Nut Nutrition Company Inc. (“Beech”), Gerber Products Company, Plum PBC (“Plum”), Sprout Foods Inc. (“Sprout”), Walmart Inc. (“Walmart”) caused their autism. The causes of action include strict liability, failure to warn, breach of implied warranty of merchantability, negligence per se, ordinary negligence, gross negligence, and unjust enrichment. The autism suit also brings counts specific to Nevada law for adulterated products and violating the Nevada Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The lawsuit seeks both compensatory and punitive damages. This lawsuit was not mere notice pleading. The suit walks through not only the House subcommittee report on heavy metals in baby food but also includes the Healthy Babies Bright Futures report, and the medical literature – including faraway studies in South Korea, Egypt, and China – on the risk of toxic metals and the presence of toxic metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic in baby food. February 3, 2023 A group of two Senators and two Congressmen sent a letter this week to the Commissioner of the FDA. The letter strongly urges the FDA to take prompt action and finalize new regulations regarding the acceptable safe levels of heavy metals in baby food products. For the last two years, the food industry has been waiting for new regulations from the FDA, but very little has been issued. January 27, 2023 The FDA has finally released its new proposed limits for the maximum safe lead level in baby food products. Under the new regulations, baby foods containing fruits, vegetables, and grain and meat-based mixtures will not be allowed to exceed lead levels of 10 parts per billion. Once these regulations are finalized, the FDA will have the authority to take enforcement action against manufacturers found to be violating this maximum limit. January 11, 2023 Bloomberg law has a podcast on the problem of toxic metals in baby food and why the FDA has responded slowly to the crisis. In 2007, the FDA detected toxic heavy metals in 33 of 39 types of baby food tested. But the FDA failed to set enforceable limits or issue guidance on maximum safe amounts. January 4, 2023 Most baby food lawsuits are filed in state courts that have jurisdiction over one of the defendants. For various reasons, most baby food lawyers believe state courts likely provide a more favorable venue for victims. The number of toxic baby food lawsuits pending in the federal courts has decreased significantly over the last 16 months. At one point, Hain Celestial had around 25 pending cases against it in federal courts. Now, however, only two of those lawsuits are still pending. The obvious question is why. We think most of these cases were consumer class actions that were voluntarily abandoned following an adverse ruling in New Jersey. Also, new plaintiffs may be electing to bring their case in state court – primarily in California – where there have already been favorable rulings on causation evidence. December 15, 2022 This article takes offense to lawyers advertising for baby food autism lawsuits because the author believes the studies – actually just one meta-analysis – show correlation and not causation. Let’s accept her premise for a moment. The “correlation” in this one study she cites is undeniably strong. Does the author then jump to what needs to be done to determine if it is not just correlation but causation? No. She goes back to railing against lawyers and makes the uncited and unsupportable conclusion like “Class action lawsuits are not new in the U.S., but their scientific basis has weakened over the years.” The irony is rich, right? A completely unfounded conclusion punctuates her lecture about unsubstantiated conclusions. How has the Daubert standard changed over the years, leading to a lower bar in your opinion? Is the study you cited the only study the plaintiffs’ experts rely upon in their conclusions? What does she know that the well-credentialed epidemiologists and medical doctors who have offered opinions in this litigation do not? Does a “non-statistician” – as you concede are – have the bones in this field to be so condescending towards another view? It is good to remember that when it comes to scientific debates like this one, people smarter and more qualified than you disagree with you regardless of which side you are on in the dispute. December 3, 2022 Over 100 lawsuits are pending against baby food companies seeking to hold them liable for the high levels of toxic heavy metals in their products. Beech-Nut and other defendants have recently filed motions to dismiss many of these cases. Based on the legal arguments made in these motions, it is evident what the overall defense strategy will be in these cases. First and foremost, the defendants will aggressively argue that there is no reliable scientific evidence to show that their baby food products (even with the heavy metals) can cause autism and other conditions. Second, the defendants will present a federal preemption defense and argue that the tort claims are preempted by the federal authorities’ ability to regulate the presence of heavy metals in baby food products. November 14, 2022 We get a lot of calls from people who want to bring a baby food ADHD lawsuit. Has ADHD been linked to toxic metals in baby food? It has. But our firm is not yet taking ADHD baby food lawsuits. We think the science needs to be stronger before taking on ADHD claims. Here are firms that seem to be taking ADHD baby food cases. They are not linked to our firm in any way: Miller Injury Firm (really, not us) Kwartler Manus DeGaris Law But there are lots of others taking ADHD cases, too. We just pulled these out for you, pretty much at random. November 6, 2022 A baby food lawsuit will go to trial on May 2, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. That case still has most of the major defendants: *Beech-Nut *Gerber *Parent’s Choice (Walmart) *Hain/Earth’s Best *Sprout *Nurture *Plum August 30, 2022 The earliest baby food autism lawsuits were filed in March 2021 after the release of a Congressional report about the levels of heavy metals in baby foods. There have been about 60 similar product liability lawsuits have been filed against baby food manufacturers in federal and state courts since then. Our lawyers went back and looked at the status of many of the earliest cases. The plaintiffs have voluntarily dismissed a large percentage of them. There is a case in state court heading to trial this summer. It is hard to imagine a scenario where the manufacturers allow that case to go to trial. It is reasonable to expect they will offer a reasonable settlement amount to give them a chance to figure out how they are will approach these autism baby food lawsuits. Our attorneys have not seen any trial dates scheduled in federal court for those cases still pending. But based on normal time frames for federal court cases that could be happening soon. We could see our first autism baby food case go to trial before the end of 2023. June 23, 2022 Our lawyers have been closely tracking incoming toxic baby food autism lawsuits as they continue to get filed in the federal court system. Over the last six months, there have been at least 14 new product liability lawsuits alleging that heavy metals in baby foods led to the development of autism or other neurologic disorders. The most frequently named defendant in these cases has been Nurture, Inc., which makes HappyBaby Organics brand food. Nurture has been named as a defendant in seven of the new toxic baby food cases. Gerber ranks second with 4four cases filed against it, followed by Hain Celestial and Sprout Foods with three lawsuits each. May 26, 2022 The baby food autism lawsuits are getting new steam. California Clears Path for Baby Food Autism Trial in August 2022 First, big news, a California court ruled this week that the plaintiffs – a boy and his family – had presented sufficient science in a baby food autism lawsuit to move forward to trial in August. This is a major development in the baby food toxic metals litigation. California law requires expert witnesses to have a reasonable foundation for their opinions before testifying at trial. In finding for the plaintiffs, the court is finding that the evidence that links autism and baby foods has an adequate foundation to be presented to a jury. What I have been saying all along was getting past this hurdle was the key to plaintiffs winning jury payouts and getting reasonable settlement amounts. Baby Food Class Action Lawsuit in Federal Court In another development in baby food claims, a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that plaintiffs could proceed with a proposed baby food autism class action lawsuit. This lawsuit in federal court alleges that Walmart knowingly sold its “Parent’s Choice” baby food with toxic metals in it. Independent laboratory testing confirmed last year that Walmart-branded baby food contained levels of heavy metals that were significantly higher than the maximum safe levels set by the FDA. May 2, 2022 There have been a number of baby food lawsuits filed by consumers who looking for a refund for the baby food they bought because the food maker did not disclose the risk of toxic metals in their baby food products. Our baby food lawyers are focused on autism diagnosis lawsuits, not consumer cases. But many of them are being pursued. A federal court judge in New Jersey dismissed a baby food class action lawsuit against Sprout Foods because the plaintiffs did not connect the dots between heavy metals in baby food and the harm to children and it did not demonstrate there are cheaper and safer products available. (Thankfully, a California judge concluded just a month later that the plaintiff did connect the dots between toxic metals in baby food and autism sufficient to send the case to trial this summer.) Discovery of Toxic Heavy Metals in Certain Baby Food Brands In October 2019, a non-profit organization called Happy Babies Bright Futures (“HBBF”), published a report with the results of extensive testing performed on 168 different baby foods sold on the U.S. market. The HBBF report found that over 90% of the tested products were contaminated with arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury. All but nine of 168 baby foods contained at least one of these metals and most contained more than one. Specifically, the HBBF report identified “puffs and other snacks made with rice flour”, “teething biscuits and rice rusks”, “infant rice cereal”, “an apple, pear, grape, and other fruit juices”, and “carrots and sweet potatoes” manufactured by baby food companies as particularly high in the toxic metals. This report kicked off concerns about heavy metals and baby food that ultimately led to the baby food autism lawsuits. Congressional Report Confirms Findings of Toxic Heavy Metals in Baby Food On February 4, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy issued a detailed investigative report entitled Baby Foods are Tainted with Dangerous Levels of Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium, and Mercury (the “Congressional Report”). The Congressional Report confirmed the HBBF findings that many major baby food brands contain toxic heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, and mercury. baby food heavy metalsThe levels of these metals found in baby food were many times higher than the levels allowed for other products like bottled water. For example, the FDA’s maximum safe level for lead in bottled water is 5 ppb. The Congressional Report found that Beech-Nut brand baby foods tested as high as 886 ppb for lead and Hain Celestial (Nature’s Best) brands contained 641 ppb. Other major brands, including Gerber, Campbell Plum, and Walmart had lead levels between 25-40 ppb, which was still 5-10 times higher than the safe limit. The most shocking finding contained in the Congressional Report, however, was that the food manufacturers were well aware that their products contained these high levels of toxic metals. Internal testing at many manufacturers confirmed that the foods contained dangerously high levels of lead and other metals, but the products were sold anyway. Hain Celestial held a meeting with the FDA at which it acknowledged the heavy metal contamination in its baby food products. The FDA under Trump did nothing in response to this Congressional Report. Under Biden? Nothing but baby steps. Very frustrating. For any victims, all they can do is file a baby food autism lawsuit to be heard and make a difference for their child. What Led to the Congressional Inquiry? In October 2019, a renowned public health organization, named “Healthy Babies Bright Futures” organization (HBBF), released a report titled “What’s in my baby’s food?” that documented a scientific study on early baby foods. The testing conducted by HBBF found toxic heavy metals in 95% of the products tested, and one in four baby foods was found to contain all three dangerous metals, namely, arsenic, lead, and mercury. The report further noted that even “trace amounts” of these toxic substances “can alter the developing brain and erode a child’s IQ.” Additionally, since these metals accumulate in the body over time, each meal or snack a baby eats can have a cumulative impact on the child’s health. After the release of HBBF’s report, the House Subcommittee launched its inquiry. Link Between Autism and Heavy Metals Autism spectrum disorder (“autism”) is a neurologic disorder that impairs the individual’s ability to engage in normal social interactions, learning, and interpersonal communications. Autism comes in different levels of severity and a variety of related symptoms. Autism is not something that can be cured. The exact causes of autism are not fully understood. But there are no serious experts – although defendants will look hard – disagreeing that exposure to heavy metals in early life can cause autism. The CDC and NIH have both noted that exposure to lead, in particular, can lead to neurodevelopmental effects in children, including autistic behaviors. A 2016 consensus statement from a consortium of epidemiologists, autism experts, and medical organizations identified lead and mercury as toxic chemicals that can contribute to ASD. The study that we talked about above from the Healthy Babies Bright Futures organization found that 95% of early baby foods tested contained toxic heavy metals, with one in four containing arsenic, lead, and mercury. Other studies have found that exposure to heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic during early life is associated with the development of ASD. These studies, which include prospective cohort studies, pre-natal studies, case-control and cross-sectional studies, and meta-analyses, have consistently found a positive association between exposure to heavy metals and the development of autism in children. The fact that these results have been replicated in multiple studies around the world, conducted by different researchers and measuring different end-points, strongly suggests a causal relationship between exposure to toxic metals, like the metals in baby food, and the development of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, in children. There is evidence that the consumption of toxic heavy metals (such as in baby foods) can cause autism. Many studies – we describe a few below – released over the last decade have consistently found a positive association between exposure to toxic heavy metals (particularly during infancy and early childhood) and the development of autism. Korean Study Linking Mercury and Autism One of the first studies was published in 2014. This study found that environmental exposure to mercury during early infancy caused a twofold increase in the risk of developing autism. A 2017 cohort study of children in Korea found a similar link between mercury exposure and autism. Buffalo Study Linking Arsenic and Autism In 2019, researchers at the University of Buffalo published the results of an extensive study on the association between children’s exposure to arsenic and autism. The analysis concluded that there is consistent evidence supporting a positive association between early-life inorganic arsenic exposure and autism diagnosis. New York Studying Linking Cadmium and Mercury to Autism Similar results were observed in another systematic review and meta-analysis published in 2020 by researchers at the State University of New York. This study found a similar connection between autism and exposure to cadmium and mercury. Lawsuits Alleging Heavy Metals in Baby Food Cause Autism The Congressional Report about heavy metals in baby food has prompted many product liability lawsuits against baby food manufacturers by parents who allege that these products caused their children to develop autism. The baby food autism lawsuits are based in part on findings in the Congressional Report. The report confirmed what baby food lawyers have been saying long before these autism lawsuits were being taken seriously. Baby food manufacturers were aware their food contained unsafe levels of heavy metals. Some baby food companies have ignored their internal testing procedures for detecting heavy metals in their products. The foundation of every heavy metal food autism lawsuit is the complaint that these companies simply ignored test results finding dangerously high metal levels. Many of these companies violated their internal company standards in doing so. It is not too dramatic to say that is putting profits over babies. Other manufacturers, such as Hain Celestial, simply don’t bother to test their products for heavy metal contamination levels. Some companies, such as Plum Organics and Sprout Foods, Inc., refused to cooperate with the congressional investigation, so we don’t know what testing they may have done on their products. All these baby food companies either knew or should have known about the scientific research linking exposure to heavy metals in baby food causes autism. Universal Agreement on Lead in Baby Food Lead is a heavy metal that is a known neurotoxin and carcinogen. Lead is readily absorbed into body tissue and it is hard to expel. This makes lead harmful for longer. This is not just the musing of a lawyer looking to file a baby food autism lawsuit. There is widespread agreement on the perils of children consuming lead. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC): “No safe blood lead level has been identified.” The Food and Drug Administration (FDA): There is no known identified safe blood lead level.” The World Health Organization (WHO): The neurological and behavioral effects of lead are believed to be irreversible. There is no known ‘safe’ blood lead concentration…” The American Medical Association (AMA): “We know that there is no safe level of lead.” American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): “There is no safe level of lead exposure in children, with lasting decreases in cognition documented in children with blood levels as low as 5 micrograms per deciliter of lead in blood.” The House Report on baby food found up to 177 times – 177 times! – more than the levels of lead deemed acceptable for adults. So why do we continue to allow lead in baby food? This recent study provides one answer. We are not getting decisions and recommendations from neutral third parties with our children’s best interests in mind. We are getting it from people in the industry who profit from not properly monitoring the lead levels in the food that we are giving our children. NEC baby formula lawsuits Example of Baby Food Autism Lawsuit Not long after the Congressional Report detailing the extent of heavy metal contamination in various major baby food brands was made public, a group of baby food autism lawsuits was filed across the country. These autism lawsuits asserted that the baby food companies knew that their products contained unsafe levels of toxic heavy metals and that the plaintiffs developed autism as a proximate result of consuming the metals in these foods. One of these contaminated baby food autism lawsuits was the case of Lawrence v. Hain Celestial Group, et al., 1:21-cv-01287 (E.D. NY), which was filed in federal court in New York in March 2021. The 50-page complaint in Lawrence sets forth the full story behind the discovery of toxic levels of heavy metals in baby foods, starting with the HBBF call to action to the subsequent congressional investigation. The complaint lays out a detailed statement of the scientific causation evidence regarding the link between autism and exposure to lead, arsenic, mercury, and other heavy metals during early childhood development. In the “Plaintiff-Specific Allegations” section, the baby food causes autism lawsuit states that the baby was regularly fed Earth’s Best Organic and other baby food brands manufactured by the defendants. The complaint relies on the congressional report for its assertion that these foods were contaminated with various heavy metals and claims, based on “prevailing scientific evidence,” that consuming these metals in baby food causes autism. The complaint sets forth seven separate product liability causes of action. The causes of action included strict liability claims for failure to warn, design defect, and manufacturing defect. The four negligence claims were based on the same three3 theories, plus an additional claim for negligent misrepresentation. February 2022 Baby Food Class Action Lawsuit Baby food manufacturers Gerber, Beech-Nut, Nuture Inc., Plum Inc., Sprout Foods, and Walmart, were named as defendants in a new consumer toxic baby food class action lawsuit filed last week in Los Angeles County Superior Court. This autism baby food lawsuit alleges that the defendants violated numerous consumer protection laws by falsely marketing their products as safe when they contained dangerously high levels of toxic heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic. The plaintiffs seeking to represent the class are 13 individuals who allegedly purchased and used baby food products manufactured by the defendants. None of the plaintiffs (or their children) have suffered any physical injuries and the lawsuit only seeks economic and statutory damages. The factual allegations in this baby food lawsuit are drawn almost entirely from the data reported last year in a U.S. Congressional subcommittee report about toxic metal contamination in baby foods. The bigger question is whether there will be a baby food autism class action lawsuit. There are not enough cases yet. But this litigation is gaining steam. So we see if a class action is on the horizon in these heavy metal baby food lawsuits. Who Are the Defendants in Baby Food autism Lawsuits? Possible defendants in your baby food autism lawsuit include: Beech-Nut Gerber Hain Celestial Group (Earth’s Best Organic) Nurture (Happy Family Organics and HappyBABY Plum) Organics Sprout Foods (Sprout Organic Food) Walmart (Parent’s Choice) Where Are the Baby Food Autism Lawsuits Going? There is no federal MDL class action baby food autism lawsuit. There are cases filed individually around the country in state and federal courts. Many toxic baby food lawsuits have been filed in California. These suits are progressive more quickly there than in other jurisdictions. If one of these lawsuits makes it to trial and gets a verdict, this litigation will explode. What has to happen before a baby food lawsuit makes it to trial? The big thing is getting the trial judge to agree that the science shows there is a link between baby food and autism. There are good studies that link heavy metal and autism. But baby food autism lawyers need to show that this link extends to the metals in baby food. In federal court cases, courts use a process called Daubert to determine if the science is strong enough to proceed to trial. In California, the process is called Sargon. Both are named after court cases that set federal and California standards for whether the science presented by the experts is sufficient. If toxic baby food lawyers get past this hurdle, that could compel baby food makers to work harder to get rid of toxic heavy metals in their products… and offer reasonable settlement amounts for the pending toxic baby food lawsuits. In the California lawsuits, four heavy hitter experts testified for the plaintiffs: Dr. Beate Ritz (epidemiologist at UCLA) Dr. Hannah Gardener (Epidemiologist at the University of Miami) Dr. Michael Aschner (Professor of Neuroscience at Albert Einstein) Dr. Kevin Shapiro (Executive Director of Research and Therapeutic Technologies at Cortica) It would seem difficult to suggest that these experts do not employ well-tested science to form their conclusions. We will see. [Update: The Sargon hearing did happen. The hearing allowed both sides to present their experts and explain the scientific evidence that supports their arguments. Judge Amy D. Hogue of the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles held the Sargon hearing for this case in two parts, with the plaintiffs presenting their experts in January and February and the defendants presenting their experts in March. Judge Hogue determined that the plaintiff’s experts had used valid methodologies to arrive at their scientific conclusions that heavy metals can cause autism and other disorders in children. So the case continues in a big win for not just these plaintiffs but every family who has brought or is considering bringing a claim.] Baby Food Autism Settlement Amounts If toxic baby food lawsuits alleging autism are successful, the settlement amounts in these cases could be enormous. Settlement Amounts Are Speculative at This Point But let’s take a step back. Estimating the settlement payouts for any personal injury claim is inherently speculative. There are so many variables and no two cases are exactly alike in terms of the various factors that impact settlement compensation or a jury payout. Not Many Injuries Comparable to Autism Estimating the settlement amounts for a baby food autism lawsuit is a particular challenge. The most reliable method of estimating settlement value is by looking at settlements in prior cases involving comparable injuries and other circumstances. For a toxic baby food lawsuit, however, prior comps don’t exist. There have never been any successful tort lawsuits in which autism was the primary injury. Previous efforts to link autism to some type of negligent action have generally failed. Birth Injury Cases Are Lens to Settlement Amounts in Baby Food Autism Lawsuits In the absence of prior settlements or verdicts awarding compensation for autism, our baby food lawyers look at prior cases involving injuries with similarities to autism. The best comps for this are probably birth injury malpractice cases involving permanent neurologic injuries. Neurologic birth injuries are comparable to autism because they result in: permanent limitations in a child’s mental functioning, a lifetime of future medical care, and a lifetime of future lost income from reduced earning capacity. Birth injury cases involving permanent neurologic injuries have a very high settlement value. Birth injury cases involving cerebral palsy have the highest average settlement value of any type of personal injury malpractice. Cerebral palsy is not a good comparable injury to autism because C.P. often involves severe physical disabilities and more extensive medical care. Successful Lawsuit Settlement Compensation Amount Predictions The best comparable lawsuit is those involving neurologic birth injuries that result in mental but not physical impairment. Cases involving this type of permanent injury to a child have an average jury payout in the range of $1,200,000 to $5,000,000 depending on the severity level of the mental impairment. The toxic baby food autism cases would probably have a somewhat lower settlement value because of the potential problems with establishing causation. Realistically, there is also the question of how much these companies would be able to pay without declaring bankruptcy. This is a hard variable to bake into a settlement amount estimate. Assuming there is enough money to pay settlements and solid causation evidence linking baby food metal to autism – this was a quantum leap assumption that is less of a leap after the court’s ruling in May 2022 I talk about above – toxic baby food lawsuits alleging autism could have a settlement value of around $450,000 to $1,500,000, depending on the severity of the autism. Some Baby Foods Are Safe The narrative the baby food manufacturers want to push in these toxic baby food lawsuits is that these toxins are just in the environment and they cannot make baby food without these toxic metals. But it is not true. Not all baby food brands are contaminated with unsafe levels of toxic heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, and mercury. There are a number of companies making baby foods that do not contain heavy metals above the maximum safe levels set by health authorities. These companies use higher-quality ingredients with fewer heavy metals and also perform strict product quality testing on the contamination levels of their product before they leave the production line. Below is a list of “safe” baby food brands that ensure their products do not contain high levels of toxins and heavy metals. Once Upon a Farm: this is a new company that makes baby foods with higher quality, organic ingredients and ensures that there are no high levels of heavy metals. The downside is that they also do not use any preservatives on their products, so everything has to be refrigerated. Yumi: Yumi has some of the strictest product quality control testing in the industry. Not only do they test their finished products, but they also test for metals in the organic ingredients before they use them. Yumi also sources its ingredients based on an analysis of soil contamination data to determine what the safest growing locations are. Little Spoon: this is a fresh baby food company that makes its products without preservatives and delivers them to customers directly on a subscription basis. This allows them to ensure the highest quality without heavy metals. In addition to buying higher-quality baby foods that test for heavy metals, there are other ways to reduce the amount of heavy metals your child consumes in their diet. One of the best ways is to avoid giving them fruit juice. Juice, especially certain types like grape juice, often contains high trace levels of arsenic. Another tip is to avoid feeding your child rice-based products because rice absorbs metals in the soil and tends to have the highest trace amounts of heavy metals.