Ex-workers sue Motorola, claiming cerebral palsy, other birth defects

A number of former employees have sued Motorola, claiming that toxic substances used to make the company’s products caused serious birth defects in their children, including cerebral palsy.

The lawsuit alleges that Motorola knew that chemicals that were used to make computer chips and semi-conductors could cause birth defects in children born to those exposed to the substances, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The lawsuit was filed by 71 former workers who claim that at least 30 children have suffered birth defects, including cerebral palsy, because of their parents’ exposure to the chemicals.

The lawsuit includes ex-employees who have worked at a number of Motorola facilities during a more than 40-year period, between 1965 and 2007. The suit cites a study conducted by IBM and Johns Hopkins University in 1986, which revealed that exposure to the chemicals and compounds in question could cause serious reproductive problems, according to the news source.

Along with cerebral palsy, the children of the former employees filing the lawsuit allegedly suffer from autism, spina bifida, brain malformations and sterility.

According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 10,000 babies develop cerebral palsy in America each year.