Nationwide Case Review · 2026
Did Your Child Develop Autism, ADHD, or a Developmental Delay?
Cornerstone Law Can Help.
A federal court in Maryland has denied motions to dismiss and cleared the way for expanded discovery in the consolidated baby food heavy-metals litigation. New 2025 testing confirmed elevated arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury in products from major manufacturers. Cornerstone Law is reviewing cases nationwide — with no upfront cost to you.
Families across the country are pursuing claims against major baby food manufacturers, alleging the companies knew their products contained unsafe levels of heavy metals and marketed them as safe for infants anyway. Court filings describe internal testing data that plaintiffs say showed contamination exceeding the manufacturers' own safety thresholds — information plaintiffs allege was never disclosed to parents or pediatricians. Independent 2025 testing has since confirmed elevated arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury across products from multiple major brands, both name-brand and store-label.
D. Md.
Consolidated MDL, District of Maryland
MTD Denied
Consumer-fraud claims moving to discovery
4
Heavy metals confirmed: arsenic, lead, cadmium, mercury
2025
New independent testing confirms contamination
Where the Litigation Stands
Discovery Is Now Moving Forward
The consolidated baby food class actions in the District of Maryland cleared a major hurdle when the court denied the defendants' motions to dismiss consumer-fraud claims, opening the door to expanded discovery — including the internal testing records at the center of the case.
In re: Baby Food Heavy Metals Litigation
Case No. 1:21-cv-00284 — District of Maryland
The court has approved expanded discovery, including production of internal heavy-metal testing data and scheduling orders for expert witnesses. This follows the denial of defendants' motions to dismiss consumer-fraud claims, a ruling that keeps core liability theories alive and opens the door to internal documents showing what manufacturers knew and when.
- Internal testing data — company records on what contamination levels manufacturers measured before products reached shelves
- Internal safety-standard documents — evidence of self-imposed thresholds and whether companies knowingly exceeded them
- Expert-witness scheduling — scientific causation experts on neurodevelopmental harm now being scheduled
The motion-to-dismiss denial is a significant threshold win. Consumer-fraud claims are proceeding, and internal testing data is now being produced — the evidence expected to establish what manufacturers knew and when.
The Contaminants
Four Heavy Metals at the Center of the Case
Independent lab testing and congressional investigations have both confirmed these four toxic heavy metals in products from multiple major baby food brands — each a known neurotoxin, with outsized effects on a developing infant brain.
ArsenicLinked to neurodevelopmental harm
LeadNo safe level in children
CadmiumToxic to kidneys and brain development
MercurySevere neurological toxin
What Plaintiffs Allege
What Baby Food Companies Are Accused of Doing
Court filings describe a pattern plaintiffs say prioritized profit over infant safety, including active concealment of internal data that contradicted the companies' public safety claims.
Knew of Contamination
Internal testing data plaintiffs allege companies possessed showed heavy-metal levels exceeding safe thresholds before products ever reached store shelves.
Ignored Their Own Standards
Companies allegedly set internal heavy-metal limits, then knowingly sold products exceeding those self-imposed thresholds without telling consumers.
Marketed as Safe and Healthy
Despite internal knowledge of contamination, products were marketed as nutritious and appropriate for infants — directly contradicting the companies' own test results.
Failed to Warn Parents
No heavy-metal warnings appeared on labels or reached pediatricians, leaving parents without the information to make an informed choice.
Eligibility
Did Your Child Suffer? Who May Qualify?
You may qualify if your child regularly ate commercially produced baby food — branded or store-label, from a named manufacturer — and was later diagnosed with a qualifying developmental or neurological condition.
Qualifying Diagnoses
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Developmental delays
- Neurological impairment
- Cognitive or speech development issues linked to heavy-metal exposure
General Eligibility Factors
- Child regularly consumed commercially produced baby food
- Products from a named defendant manufacturer
- Child subsequently diagnosed with a qualifying condition
- Diagnosis documented by a physician or developmental specialist
Legal Theories and Damages
Liability and What Your Family Can Recover
Liability Legal Theories
- Consumer fraud and deceptive trade practices
- Failure to warn
- Negligence
- Fraudulent concealment of contamination data
- Breach of implied warranty of merchantability
- Strict product liability
Damages What You Can Recover
- Medical and therapeutic expenses
- Special education and developmental intervention costs
- Lost parental wages for caregiving
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Punitive damages for knowing concealment
Common Questions
What Parents Ask Us Most
My child ate store-brand baby food, not a big name brand — does that matter?
Not necessarily. Store-label products from named defendant manufacturers are covered under the same eligibility criteria as branded products.
What does it cost to work with Cornerstone Law?
We handle these cases on contingency — there's no upfront fee, and we only get paid if we recover compensation for your family.
Is this a class action or an individual lawsuit?
The underlying cases are consolidated for pretrial proceedings in the District of Maryland, but individual families' claims for their own child's diagnosis and damages are pursued separately.
How long do I have to file?
Deadlines vary by state and by your child's diagnosis date, so it's worth having your specific timeline reviewed rather than assuming you've missed a window.
Why Cornerstone Law: We track every development in the District of Maryland proceeding — from discovery orders to expert-witness scheduling — to build the strongest possible case for every family we represent.
Cornerstone Law Is Reviewing Toxic Baby Food Cases Nationwide
We represent families whose children were harmed by heavy-metal contamination in baby food. Find out whether your child's diagnosis qualifies for a claim.
Get a Free Case Review
No fee unless we recover compensation for you. Call 1-800-928-9445.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome in any future case. This is a paid legal advertisement from Cornerstone Law, LLP. Attorney Frank Zeccola, Esq., licensed to practice law in California, is responsible for this advertisement.
