AMD sued over birth defects

AMD and a regional medical association have been sued for being responsible for birth defects. Maria Ruiz, who worked at AMD's Fab 14 clean room from 1988 to 2002 in Austin, Texas, claims the hazardous chemicals she was exposed to during her work caused devastating birth defects to her son.

Ryan Ruiz, who turned 16 on Oct. 31, suffers from multiple birth defects, including a missing right arm below his elbow, cognitive deficits and brain injury.

"Maria Ruiz worked with hazardous chemicals that caused her son's devastating birth defects," said Adam S. Ward, a partner in Allison & Ward, LLP, the filing attorney. The team working on behalf of the Ruiz family includes Steven Phillips of Levy Phillips & Konigsberg LLP (New York) who represented litigants in a similar case against IBM that were settled before reaching trial.

The Ruiz versus AMD lawsuit alleges Maria Ruiz was wrongfully exposed to birth defect-causing hazardous chemicals during her pregnancy and that AMD knowingly failed to protect its workers from hazardous chemicals. The petition also includes medical malpractice allegations against a family/occupational health practitioner and an obstetrics and gynecology specialist at Austin Regional Clinic. MDs, George Marking and Alinda Cox allegedly failed to warn the pregnant woman of the recognized dangers posed by exposure to the chemicals, according to the lawsuit.

The toxic chemicals that Maria Ruiz was exposed to included ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate and 2-ethoxyethyl acetate which caused the birth defects in her son, Ryan, the statement alleges. On at least two occasions during her employment, Ruiz required medical care due to inhaling chemical fumes, according to the statement.

Source: EE Times