Paraquat Lawsuit Lawyer

This is a question that should be discussed with an experienced attorney. Phillips Law Group offers a free initial consultation to discuss this question and your potential legal options.

Our attorneys need to carefully consider your situation, including:

Our firm has the resources and experience to build a strong case and take on large corporations looking to avoid being held accountable for exposing people to dangerous substances. Founding partner Jeff Phillips works closely with attorneys throughout the nation to represent those injured by defective products and dangerous drugs.

Have a question about a potential case?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says Paraquat is one of the most widely used herbicides in the nation. It is used on more than 100 different types of crops. This substance, also known as paraquat dichloride, is mainly used for weed and grass control. Paraquat is also used as a defoliant prior to crops being harvested.

While it may be possible for others to be exposed to this chemical, licensed paraquat applicators have the highest risk for exposure. They are the only ones who are legally allowed to purchase and use this product.

Licensed applicators could be exposed in the following ways:

• Swallowing — This is the most likely way people may be exposed.
• Eating or drinking contaminated food — Unless a dye, odor, or vomiting agent was added to the paraquat, a person might be unaware he or she was ingesting contaminated food.
• Through the skin — Generally, the skin would need to be exposed for a long time to put the victim at risk for side effects. However, if the Paraquat was particularly concentrated, or it leaked onto an open sore or cut, it may be more likely to enter the body.
• Inhalation — Breathing in this herbicide could cause lung damage.

Have a question about a potential case?

If your attorney validates your claim and you move forward, you may be eligible to pursue compensation for the cost of your medical treatment, along with lost wages, lost earning capacity, and pain and suffering.

If you lost a loved one due to the side effects of paraquat, it may be possible to file a wrongful death claim to recover compensation for your losses. The types of damages may include things like:

Compensation can be so important for those diagnosed with a debilitating illness. A recent letter from the Unified Parkinson’s Advocacy Council to the EPA discussed the cost of battling the disease, stating it costs approximately $26,400 per year for individual care of a person with Parkinson’s.

The value of every claim needs to be assessed on a case-by-case basis. At Phillips Law Group, our goal is to secure maximum compensation for you and your family. Product manufacturers that put people at risk for serious illnesses should be held accountable. Filing lawsuits against these companies may help to protect others from dangerous products.

Have a question about a potential case?

Paraquat is currently banned in 32 countries, including Switzerland. England and the European Union banned paraquat in 2013, and China began phasing it out in 2012.

Despite the risks of this substance, its use has become more widespread in the U.S. in recent years, as weeds and pests become resistant to Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide. Monsanto also faces several lawsuits alleging Roundup caused non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

In 2016, seven million pounds of paraquat were sprayed in the U.S., covering almost 15 million acres.

Have a question about a potential case?

Upon ingesting a large amount of the herbicide, victims may suffer pain and swelling in the mouth and throat. They may also experience nausea, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea. Victims may be dehydrated and develop low blood pressure.

Even ingesting a small amount of Paraquat can be dangerous. Days or weeks later, victims may suffer:

Research is ongoing, however, several case-controlled scientific studies have strengthened the link between exposure to paraquat and Parkinson’s disease. A report from Scientific American shows Parkinson’s disease and other neurological problems may result from pesticides and herbicides, including Paraquat.

Have a question about a potential case?

This is the title of a study done by the National Institute of Health (NIH) to determine if there may be a link between Parkinson’s and exposure to Paraquat. The results also included data from the Agricultural Health Study, which studied 80,000 farmers, agricultural workers, and their spouses.

For the FAME study, researchers evaluated 110 of 115 people who developed Parkinson’s disease. One of the co-authors of the study, Dr. Freya Kamel, said the study was about as persuasive as it could get in linking Parkinson’s to paraquat.

Another study called the Genetic Modification of the Association of Paraquat and Parkinson’s Disease was done in 2012. The results of this study revealed a higher risk of Parkinson’s for those with a specific genetic variation who were exposed.

Have a question about a potential case?

In 2017, a lawsuit was filed against Paraquat manufacturers Syngenta and Growmark. The complaint was drafted on behalf of farmers and agricultural workers who developed Parkinson’s after their exposure to Paraquat.

Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP, along with Chevron USA, Inc, were later added to the complaint. However, Chevron USA, on October 29, 2021, reached an agreement with co-counsel for the plaintiffs to be dismissed as a defendant. The basis for this agreement is that Chevron USA ceased to distribute paraquat in 1986 and subsequently transferred all its paraquat registrations to a non-Chevron entity at that time.

Since then, multiple lawsuits have been filed in state and federal courts. For example, two personal injury and product liability claims were filed in 2018. One was filed on behalf of 12 people and their spouses who were diagnosed with Parkinson’s. The other was filed on behalf of someone’s spouse who had been diagnosed with the disease. These lawsuits claim the manufacturer failed to warn about the dangers of this chemical.

Another lawsuit was filed in December 2020, alleging a former farmworker was not informed about the risks of exposure to paraquat. The victim was a crop duster.

On March 25, 2021, a lawsuit was filed in California on behalf of a former farmworker diagnosed with Parkinson’s in December 2015. The lawsuit says the manufacturer knew Paraquat increases the risk of Parkinson’s by two to five times the average but chose to conceal this information.

A multidistrict litigation (MDL) was formed on June 8, 2021, and transferred to the federal court in the Southern District of Illinois. The decision was approved due to the quickly-growing number of lawsuits pending in 16 different districts. U.S. Judge Nancy Rosenstengel will be handling the MDL. The jury trial in litigation against Syngenta AG was set to commence on November 15, 2022, but Judge Rosenstengel later rescheduled it to July 2023 to allow for more time for discovery.

As of October 29, 2021, there were currently more than 380 cases within the MDL.

Have a question about a potential case?

Phillips Law Group is investigating claims involving Paraquat. If the manufacturers knowingly concealed the dangers of this herbicide from the public and farm workers, they may face liability. Exposed victims who were diagnosed with Parkinson’s may be eligible to obtain compensation for their damages.

Schedule a free consultation today to discuss a potential Paraquat lawsuit. There are no upfront fees for our services, and we are not paid unless you get paid.

Have a question about a potential case?