Federal Judge Stays Parents' Suit Pending Progress of Son's Petition in Vaccine Court

NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge ordered a stay in the proceedings of a suit filed by the parents of a child who allegedly developed autism as a result of his exposure to thimerosal. The stay was granted pending the progress of their son's petition in vaccine court. Jacqueline Case and Mark Redding v. Merck & Co., et al., No. 02-1779 (E.D. La.).

A stay would be 'in the interest of justice' because the vaccine court is currently debating general causation issues and the parents' loss of consortium claim relies on their ability to prove that the defendants caused and …