Syngenta Knew From 2011 That Paraquat Was Linked To Parkinson's Disease

The National Institute of Health has presented studies linking the deadly defoliant to causing brain damage leading to Parkinson's disease

Thursday, July 1, 2021 - Federal Judge Nancy Rosenstengel of the Southern District of Illinois has set Nov. 15, 2022, for the first jury trial for sufferers of Parkinson's disease against the maker of paraquat, Syngenta AG. More than 150 plaintiffs accuse Syngenta of responsibility for causing them to develop Parkinson's disease, a permanent, irreversible neurological disorder that results in a complete loss of muscle coordination. The plaintiffs allege, according to US Right to Know, that Syngenta knew of paraquat's deadly neurological effects for those that inhaled it but kept this knowledge from the public. Farmers that spray the chemical are the most directly affected, as are their spouses who have to wash their paraquat-drenched clothing every day. People who live work and play near paraquat-spraying farms are also concerned since studies point to repeated low-dose inhalation of paraquat can be just as damaging to health. Many have registered with Paraquat Parkinson's disease lawyers to file suit against Syngenta to seek lump-sum monetary reimbursement for their past and future medical expenses and also for punitive damages to punish Syngenta and to draw attention to the company's alleged fraud and negligence. Attorneys representing Paraquat lawsuits are offering free case reviews and can consult before filing a claim.

Syngenta and other makers of paraquat have known for decades that the herbicide was lethal if ingested and that inhaling the paraquat spray could cause neurological damage. A 2011 study of farm families that used paraquat concluded that paraquat farmers, their spouses, and children are more likely to develop Parkinson's disease than those who live and work nowhere near those farms. "In 2011 the National Institutes of Health and the Parkinson's Institute conducted a study on the effects of paraquat and another herbicide, Rotenone. A survey of farm families in Iowa and North Carolina revealed that individuals who were exposed to the herbicides were two and a half times more likely to develop Parkinson'," wrote the Pinellas Legal Examiner. The paper noted that even though the Environmental Protection Agency acknowledged the vast amount of science coming out that supports the link between inhaling paraquat and developing Parkinson's disease, nothing has been done to follow the leads of the European Union, China, Brazil, and more than 30 countries that have banned paraquat. Instead, the EPA has suggested that farmers who spray paraquat using backpack sprayers use personal protective equipment (PPE) and that large farms spraying large quantities of paraquat by tractor-pulled sprayers must do so while riding within an enclosure to protect from getting the defoliant on them should the wind shift. The EPA requires paraquat applicators to take a training course dealing with the toxicity to humans and consequences of misusing the chemical and earn a license to use the weed killer. Even farmworkers under the supervision of a licensed applicator are prohibited from using paraquat. "Each applicator who completes the training must keep a record and show it to state regulatory authorities upon request." wrote the EPA. Spraying paraquat has tripled since 2006 as more and more weeds evolve to become resistant to glyphosate in Monsanto's Roundup herbicide and switch to a more lethal defoliant.

Lawyers for Paraquat Lawsuits

Attorneys handling Paraquat Lawsuits for leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and multiple myeloma offer free, no-obligation case review for individuals and families who believe they may have grounds to file a paraquat Parkinson's lawsuit. Working on a contingency basis, these attorneys are committed to never charging legal fees unless they win compensation in your paraquat Parkinson's lawsuit. The product liability litigators handling Roundup claims at the Onder Law Firm have a strong track record of success in representing families harmed by dangerous drugs and consumer products.