From the May 2001 Idaho Observer:

First mercury poisoning civil action filed in Texas

Attorneys expect case to open floodgates of vaccine damage investigation, prosecution

DALLAS -- The law firm Waters & Kraus, LLP, announced April 17 that it has filed the first known mercury-poisoning civil lawsuit against vaccine manufacturer Abbott Laboratories, et al on behalf of Counter, et al.

The lawsuit alleges that the mercury-based preservative thimerosal used in over 30 childhood vaccines has caused mercury poisoning in many children. Counter and others believe that published science shows that the symptoms of mercury poisoning and autism can, in many cases, appear identical and that children diagnosed with autism may, in fact, be suffering from undiagnosed mercury poisoning.

Mercury is not readily metabolized by the body. Cumulative levels of mercury from the federally-recommended regimen of childhood vaccinations that exceed federally established guidelines for mercury exposure are being found in children who display symptoms commonly associated with autism. Those symptoms include social detachment, lack of eye contact, repetitive actions and hypersensitivity to smell and touch.

Representative Dan Burton (R-IN) believes that his grandson, who has been diagnosed with autism, was exposed to 41 times the safety threshold for mercury the day he was vaccinated against nine diseases all at one time.

The lawsuit claims that children such as Rep. Burton's grandson who exhibited normal physiological and neurological development suddenly experienced irreparable damage to their brains and bodies after accumulating levels of mercury in their tissues that exceed commonly accepted safety standards.

Counter, et al believe that vaccine manufacturers such as Abbott Laboratories should be held liable for marketing pediatric vaccine products that contain mercury because mercury toxicity has been understood for hundreds of years and its dangers to people have been published in numerous studies and reports that are easily found in the scientific literature.

Waters & Kraus anticipate that this case will lead to the filing of a significant number of individual cases against the vaccine industry in the near future.

For more information on the lawsuit, contact Melissa Miles at Waters & Kraus by calling: (214) 357-6244. Potential claimants are encouraged to contact Claire Bothwell at Waters & Kraus in California by calling: (562) 436-8833; or by email at: bothwell@awpk.com