Paraquat is a highly toxic herbicide used on crops in the United States for nearly 60 years, even though it has been banned in more than 50 other countries. Farmers and others who use this product are at high risk of suffering toxic exposure and adverse side effects, including Parkinson’s disease.
Showard Law is currently accepting paraquat cases on behalf of plaintiffs exposed and later diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Contact us for a free consultation to learn more about the developing litigation and explore your legal options. Our clients never pay out-of-pocket for representation.
Were You Exposed to Paraquat?
Paraquat is commonly sold under the trade name Gramoxone, but it’s also found in many products:
- AH 501
- Bai Cao Ku
- Blanco
- Bonedry
- Crisquat
- Cyclone SL 2.0
- Devour
- Dexuron
- Diquat Dibromide
- Esgram
- Firestorm
- Gramixel
- Gramuron
- Helmquat 3SL
- Ortho Paraquat CL
- Para-col
- Para-Shot 3.0
- Parazone
- Pillarxone
- PP148
- Quick-Quat
- Simazine
- Tota-col
- Toxer Total
These pesticides fall under the “restricted use” category. It means that only certified licensed applicators may purchase and use these products on crops such as cotton, peanuts, potatoes, soybeans, and other vegetables. Therefore, those most likely to suffer acute poisoning or long-term exposure are the applicators, farmers, and laborers. However, individuals living in communities where paraquat has been heavily used may also have sufficient grounds for compensation.
ConsumerNotice.org has listed the states with the highest use of paraquat. They include:
- Alabama
- California
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
Is Paraquat Dangerous?
Many preliminary indicators suggest the dangers of paraquat exposure:
- 5 grams is a lethal dose of paraquat in humans.
- S. paraquat is treated with a pungent blue dye to prevent accidental ingestion.
- Paraquat is banned in over 50 countries, including Switzerland, England, and China, where it is produced.
- gov, in a 2011 study, reported 2.5x the risk of Parkinson’s with paraquat or rotenone exposure.
- Agricultural Health Study published a more extensive review tracking 80,000 agricultural workers and identified at least 110 cases of Parkinson’s.
- The National Institute of Health published a 2012 study that identified a specific genetic variation leading to 11x the risk of developing Parkinson’s.
- In March 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sponsored a program to assess the health risk.
- In December 2016, the exact pathway for paraquat-induced cell death was identified in a CRISPR screen.
- Research linking paraquat with Parkinson’s is published in The American Journal of Epidemiology, JAMA Neurology, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, among others.
Despite the hazard, paraquat use has quadrupled over the last 10 years, with more than 7 million pounds sprayed across nearly 15 million acres of land. It continues to be a popular alternative to Monsanto’s Roundup, a product associated with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
What is the Paraquat Lawsuit About?
In September 2017, Thomas Hoffman and wife Diana Hoffman filed the first paraquat lawsuit against Syngenta Crop Protection LLC, Growmark Inc., and Chevron Chemical in St. Clair County, Illinois. The plaintiff alleged that he had been exposed to paraquat while farming corn, soybeans, and wheat. These crops had been sprayed by professional applicators from the 1970s through the 1990s. Hoffman was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1998, at 44.
The 278-page complaint details the history of paraquat, its known toxicity in the human body, and information about bans in other countries. The complaint also listed scientific testimony illustrating the causal link between paraquat exposure and Parkinson’s.
Do You Need a Paraquat Lawyer?
If this first case is successful, we can expect the certification of Multi-District Litigation (MDL) 3004 under Judge Edward Chen in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. This is where more than 20 similar cases have been consolidated. Law firms around the country have thousands of cases waiting to join, depending on how this first lawsuit plays out.
Mass tort proceedings are highly complex, so finding the right lawyer – a paraquat lawyer – will ensure the best possible outcome. At Showard Law, we are already familiar with the facts surrounding the case.
Contact Us at Showard Law for a Free Consultation
If you or a family member has been affected by paraquat, please contact us at Showard Law. We only charge a legal fee if we secure compensation on your behalf. You may receive money to cover all related past and future medical expenses, lost wages, and an estimated amount to compensate for pain and suffering.