Paraquat Lawsuits

Paraquat is an herbicide that has been used by agricultural workers. Paraquat is used to kill weeds. While it is an effective herbicide, Paraquat has also been linked to Parkinson’s disease with people who are exposed to it. Paraquat is currently owned by a Chinese company and it is outlawed in China. It is still legal in the United States, however. If you or a loved one has worked in the agricultural industry and have developed Parkinson’s disease, you may have a solid claim against Paraquat.

THE HISTORY OF PARAQUAT AND ITS DANGERS

Approved for use as a herbicide in 1961, Paraquat is the main ingredient in Gramoxone. It is very toxic to weeds. In 2000, a company called Syngenta was created, which sold Paraquat. As of now, a company called ChemChina owns Paraquat. Paraquat cannot be purchased off the shelf at any store the way Roundup can. It is restricted by the EPA and only people who have been certified are allowed to use it, and to receive certification, the worker has to be trained on how to use it.

In 2011, the National Institute of Health (NIH) conducted an extensive study of 110 people who had developed Parkinson’s disease. The study found that farm workers who were exposed to Paraquat were 2.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with Parkinson’s than those farm workers who did not use the pesticide. A 2018 research study by a university professor showed that cells in the human body were disrupted by Paraquat, such that gene mutations occurred and caused Parkinson’s disease.

This was a significant finding since Parkinson’s disease can only occur because of either genetics, which is found about 10% of the time in patients, and in the environment. Perhaps not surprisingly, over 30 countries around the world have banned Paraquat, but to date, the EPA has not mandated that the herbicide be outlawed. The EPA has, however, made it illegal to use in urban areas.

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THE SYMPTOMS OF PARKINSON’S DISEASE

Unfortunately, there is no cure for Parkinson’s Disease. The only thing that can be done is to have people take medication to manage it in hopes of slowing the disease’s spread. Michael J. Fox, the actor, is the most famous person to suffer from the disease. The most common symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are:

• Shaking of the body. The shaking can be confined to the hands, limbs, or may spread to the body.
• Stiffness of the limbs.
• Instability of the body. This means that the human body will not be able to remain steady as the disease spreads.

LAWSUITS AGAINST PARAQUAT

The lawsuits against the manufacturer of Paraquat are just beginning. However, on December 21, 2020, a crop duster in Illinois filed a lawsuit alleging that Paraquat made him ill with Parkinson’s, which doctors diagnosed in 2019. The man from IL worked in fields and ingested the herbicide between 1969 and 1981. In the man’s lawsuit, he claimed that the makers and distributors of Paraquat failed to warn people of the dangers of it.

He sued the following companies since these companies had been involved in the production and sale of Paraquat:

• Growmark
• Chevron
• Syngenta
• Philips Chemical

If you were exposed to herbicide over the last thirty to forty years, you may have a claim against the makers of Paraquat as well.

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HOW THE JACKMAN LAW FIRM CAN HELP

If you or a loved one has been exposed to Paraquat and been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, then you likely have a valid claim. It is very difficult to pursue this claim on your own as you will have to do a few things to win, including find the correct defendant to sue and prove that your Parkinson’s was caused by Paraquat and not something else.

Do not go through this difficult and long process alone. The Jackman Law Firm can take the burden off your shoulders and make sure you are fairly compensated for your disease by getting you money to cover your medical bills and pain and suffering. We offer free consultations.