Parents Claim Child's Autism Caused by Thimerosal-Containing Vaccinations

BATON ROUGE, La. - The parents of an autistic child have filed suit against thimerosal manufacturer Eli Lilly and a number of manufacturers of childhood vaccines claiming that the companies are liable for their son's development of the neurological disorder. Steven Gilbert, Individually and on behalf of Taylor Gilbert and Jacqueline Gilbert v. Eli Lilly and Co., et al., No. 03-CV-120 (M.D. La.).

The Feb. 18 complaint asserts defective design and failure to warn claims against the vaccine companies under the Louisiana Products Liability Act (LPLA) and states that both the vaccine manufacturers and Eli Lilly fraudulently misrepresented the dangers …