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Call to learn more about our lawsuit: (888) 345-9815
David L. McGuffey
Address:
400 N Selvidge St, P.O. Box 2023
Dalton, GA 30720

Phone: (888) 345-9815
Join the Lawsuit
Melissa Cabello Havrda received a B.A. in political science from St. Mary’s University in 2001, a law degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law in 2007, and an MBA from UTSA in 2013.Between degrees, Melissa served her native San Antonio by working as an assistant to then-Mayor of San Antonio Ed Garza. She went on to serve as an assistant to Mayor Emeritus Lila Cockrell and former Councilwoman Bonnie Conner with the non-profit San Antonio Parks Foundation. To continue her dedication to her community, Melissa joined a prominent firm in 2008 representing clients in Social Security Disability claims.  Melissa now owns her own firm.Melissa is also a proud graduate of the inaugural Latina Leadership Institute through the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and is also an alumnus of Leadership San Antonio 41 through the SAHCC and the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.  Melissa also teaches at St. Mary’s University and serves her community as a San Antonio City Councilwoman.Melissa is a member of the San Antonio Bar Association, Mexican American Bar Association of San Antonio, and National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives.  Melissa feels inspired by her clients to advocate and fight for them every day.Melissa has been married to Jason Havrda for over twenty years and they are the proud parents of three children.
David L. McGuffey is in private practice with the Elder Law Practice of David L. McGuffey, LLC, located in Dalton, Georgia and Ellijay, Georgia. David limits his practice to Elder and Special Needs law. This means he helps older adults or individuals with special needs and their caregivers. Much of David’s practice is devoted to helping individuals with chronic health conditions find, get and pay for good long-term care.

The National Elder Law Foundation designated David as a Certified Elder Law Attorney in 2004. David is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell. In 2012, David was invited to join NAELA’s Council of Advanced Practitioners. David has been selected as a “Georgia SuperLawyer” in the field of Elder Law each year since 2013.

In 2021, David launched the educational website EZElderLaw.com. As of now EZelderlaw has more than 1,000 pages of information available to its readers with more coming almost every day.

What is
Autism Justice?

Research demonstrates that pregnant women who take products containing acetaminophen, like Tylenol and others, have significantly increased risk of having a baby who develops Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Autism Justice is a coalition of scientists, consumer advocates and lawyers helping women and their families hold drug companies accountable for damages these companies are causing to these families and to get these products labeled properly so that pregnant women can make fully informed choices about what pain relief to seek during pregnancy.

Women who take acetaminophen during pregnancy are more likely to have an autistic child.

A growing body of research suggests a consistent association between pregnant women who take acetaminophen and the chance of their child being autistic.

Researchers have demonstrated this association to be robust and meaningful in six independent research studies examining over 105,000 mother and child pairs. Follow-up studies that collected data from previous research found a 20 to 30% increase in the chance of a child having autism if the mother took acetaminophen during her pregnancy when compared to mothers that did not take acetaminophen. Biological assessments of umbilical cord blood and the baby’s first bowel movement have verified this connection and demonstrated a link between the quantity and duration of acetaminophen use and higher rates of autism in children.

Related Studies

JAMA Psychiatry
10/30/2019
Association of Cord Plasma Biomarkers of In Utero Acetaminophen Exposure With Risk of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder in Childhood
JAMA Pediatrics
9/28/2020
Association of Prenatal Acetaminophen Exposure Measured in Meconium With Risk of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Mediated by Frontoparietal Network Brain Connectivity
European Journal of Pediatrics
2/17/2022
Paracetamol (acetaminophen) use in infants and children was never shown to be safe for neurodevelopment: a systematic review with citation tracking
BMC Psychiatry
11/20/2018
Is intrauterine exposure to acetaminophen associated with emotional and hyperactivity problems during childhood? Findings from the 2004 Pelotas birth cohort
European Psychiatry
1/1/2020
Prenatal exposure to acetaminophen and children's language development at 30 months
JCPP Advances
6/22/2021
Acetaminophen use during pregnancy and offspring attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – a longitudinal sibling control study
JAMA Pediatrics
10/1/2016
Association of Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy With Behavioral Problems in Childhood
Autism Research
12/21/2015
Maternal use of acetaminophen during pregnancy and risk of autism spectrum disorders in childhood: A Danish national birth cohort study
European Journal of Epidemiology
5/28/2021
Prenatal and postnatal exposure to acetaminophen in relation to autism spectrum and attention-deficit and hyperactivity symptoms in childhood: Meta-analysis in six European population-based cohorts
International Journal of Epidemiology
6/29/2016
Acetaminophen use in pregnancy and neurodevelopment: attention function and autism spectrum symptoms

Videos

Erin Brockovich is fighting on behalf of women with autistic children.
Our trial lawyers are committed to this case - hear directly from them.
Our epidemiologist explains the link between autism and acetaminophen.

Our Team

Meet our team of accomplished lawyers, doctors, and consumer advocates working together to get you justice.

Alicia D. O'Neill

TRIAL LAWYER

Roberta Ness MD, MPH

PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERT

Erin Brockovich

CONSUMER ADVOCATE

Mikal Watts

TRIAL LAWYER

Bernard Harlow, PhD

EPIDEMIOLOGIST

Douglas Boxer

LAWYER

Media Coverage

Sinclair Broadcast Group
2/20/2023
OTC meds & pregnancy: Citing potential risk, group of experts urges transparency, studies
Fox Carolina
2/9/2023
Can acetaminophen during pregnancy cause autism/ADHD in children?
NewsNation
1/7/2023
Mother of autistic son weighs in on lawsuit blaming Tylenol
NewsNation
1/7/2023
Seeking the truth: Tylenol and its link to autism
Delaware Valley Journal
1/5/2023
Does Using Tylenol During Pregnancy Lead to Autism? More Experts Raise Alarm
NBC Houston
12/7/2022
Is taking Tylenol during pregnancy safe? Experts weigh in on research, pending lawsuits
USA Today
11/9/2022
Is Tylenol safe during pregnancy? Expert raises alarm about possible link to autism, ADHD
NewsNation
11/6/2022
Erin Brockovich helps pregnant women sue Tylenol
UPI
10/28/2022
Debate over possible acetaminophen-autism link heads to court
Reuters
10/6/2022
Mass tort launched for claims that acetaminophen caused autism, ADHD
Law.com
10/5/2022
Panel Sends 65 Cases Over Prenatal Use of Acetaminophen to New York
UPI
9/29/2022
Acetaminophen use during pregnancy can impact kids' behavior, researchers warn
Bloomberg
9/29/2022
Walmart, CVS Face Suits Blaming Common Painkiller for Autism
DailyMail
9/27/2022
Pregnant women who take Tylenol during pregnancy are a FIFTH more likely to have children with ADHD and sleep problems, study suggests
The 19th
9/23/2022
Researchers say pregnant people should be cautious with acetaminophen use
The Pharmaceutical Journal
7/21/2022
Prenatal exposure to paracetamol associated with increased risk of autism and ADHD
Futurity
10/6/2021
Team of scientists warns against acetaminophen in pregnancy
Everyday Health
9/30/2021
International Committee Urges Caution in Tylenol Use During Pregnancy
CBC Canada
9/23/2021
Medical experts urge caution over use of acetaminophen-based painkillers during pregnancy
Healthline
11/1/2019
Acetaminophen During Pregnancy Associated with Increased Chance of ASD, ADHD
Technology Networks
10/31/2019
Paracetamol During Pregnancy Could Be Linked to Increased Risk of ADHD and Autism
NBC Detroit
6/21/2018
New research raises concerns about acetaminophen during pregnancy

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ADVERTISEMENT: Elder Law Practice of David L. McGuffey, LLC is the law firm responsible for the content of this advertisement. Watts Guerra LLC attorneys identified are licensed to practice law in the State of Texas, Minnesota, and the District of Columbia. Mikal Watts is Board Certified in Personal Injury Law. The Office of Douglas Boxer attorney is licensed in California. Unless otherwise indicated, the attorneys listed are not board certified. The principal offices of Watts Guerra LLC are located in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. The principal offices of Sunridge Law Group, LLC are located in Phoenix, AZ. Past results afford no guarantee of future results. Services might not be available in all states. All product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders, and use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them. Erin Brockovich is not an attorney.