October 21, 2022: In an article released by the Guardian yesterday, information on leaked emails of secret files suggests Syngenta (the chemical giant that produced Paraquat) employees feared a link between the weedkiller and Parkinson’s disease. Syngenta later paid to influence marketing and scientific panels to avoid any scientific findings linking Paraquat to Parkinson’s disease, as evidenced in emails.
September 27, 2022: This past week, the Biden administration announced they would be further reviewing its 15 year re-approval of Paraquat to be used commercially in the United States. The decision comes almost a year after the administration moved to re-approve the use, which was met with several lawsuits by many non-profits such as the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, the Pesticide Action Network, the Farmworker Association of Florida and the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. The organizations have stated that they have strong scientific evidence linking Paraquat to Parkinson’s and that the EPA should reconsider its re-approval of its 15 year sale. It’s to be announced how long the review will take, but the groups have agreed to keep the current Paraquat sale rules in place for now until a final decision is made.
September 21, 2022: Paraquat victims suing Chevron Corp for causing them to develop Parkinson’s Disease after being exposed to the herbicide Paraquat have asked a Federal Judge to sanction the company’s lawyers for coaching an expert witness during a deposition. In a motion filed Tuesday in Illinois federal court, lawyers for the Plaintiffs said that Jones Day partner Sharyl Reisman instructed the witness, former Chevron toxicologist, not to answer questions and conferred with him during breaks. They said these “improper communications” warranted monetary sanctions against the firm, as well as another chance to depose the toxicologist.
September 19, 2022: New research out of UCLA raises concerns about thyroid cancer risks related to the use of certain pesticides in California. A peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism linked the use of herbicides paraquat dichloride, glyphosate and oxyfluorfen to thyroid cancer diagnoses between 1999 and 2012 in several California counties.
August 15, 2022: The number of new cases to join the Paraquat MDL this month was the highest since the start of the Paraquat Parkinson’s class action lawsuit. In total 255 new cases were transferred into the MDL, bringing the total to 1,703.
May 2022: The defendants in the Roundup trial suffered a loss this month that will positively impact the outcome of the victims in the Paraquat trial. In the Roundup trial, the defendants had submitted a appeal to the Supreme Court that argued the Roundup cancer lawsuits had been approved by federal law.In the response from the Biden administration, they urged the courts to drop this argument and replied that “approval of labeling that does not warn about chronic risks does not by itself preempt a state-law requirement.” This was a blow to those defending Roundup and also Paraquat since this is also a pesticide governed by the same federal law.
February 2022: A Federal Judge assigned to oversee the Paraquat multi-district lawsuit, Judge Rosenstengel, allowed those representing Paraquat victims to receive transcripts of prior depositions from a state case in which a settlement was reached for the victim.
The release of the previously kept confidential settlement amount is a victory for other victims going to trial against the Syngenta and Growmark. All of this information can be used in the Paraquat multidistrict litigation during settlement negotiations.
WHO MANUFACTURES PARAQUAT?
Paraquat has been manufactured by two main entities over the past 50 years. Sygnenta has produced paraquat under the corporate entities that include Imperial Chemical Industries, Zeneca Group, AstraZeneca, Syngenta AG and Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC. Chevron has also produced paraquat under the corporate entities that include Chevron USA, Chevron Chemical Company, Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. and Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, LP.
DOES PARAQUAT CAUSE PARKINSON’S DISEASE?
Recent studies published in medical literature have shown that Paraquat exposure can damage cells. One comprehensive study showed Paraquat causes cell death through oxidative stress. The chemical undergoes redox cycling when exposed to oxygen within living cells and this redox cycling creates reactive oxygen species, which then causes a cascading chemical reaction that damages cellular structures and ultimately kills cells. One study found that those with a specific genetic variation that used Paraquat on crops were at risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
One of the major causes of Parkinson’s disease is the loss of function in the dopamine neurons in a small region of the brain called the substantia nigra pars compacta. These dopamine neurons are highly vulnerable to oxidative stress. Parkinson’s disease is an incurable and debilitating progressive nervous system disorder. Two separate studies in 2017 and 2018 demonstrated the causal mechanism between paraquat exposure and cell death in the substantia nigra pars compacta.
In 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a regulatory filing on Paraquat products due to Paraquat health risks. The agency expressed its intention to examine the potential link between paraquat exposure and Parkinson’s disease, as part of a program that reevaluates herbicides every 15 years.
It is well established that exposure to dangerous products like the chemical paraquat can be extremely harmful to humans. According to a letter from the Michael J. Fox Foundation to the EPA, scientific studies and Parkinson’s research have shown that people exposed to the toxic chemical paraquat while they were teens or young adults were between 200 and 600 percent more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease. The Agricultural Health Study by the National Institutes of Health found that farmers had a significantly higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease and adverse health effects due to paraquat exposure.
Parkinson’s disease has four main common symptoms:
- Tremor in hands, arms, legs, jaw, or head
- Muscle stiffness, where muscle remains contracted for a long time
- Slow movements
- Impaired balance, loss of balance and coordination, sometimes leading to falls
Some other Parkinson’s Disease symptoms include the loss of smell and the loss of facial expressions.
AM I ELIGIBLE TO FILE A PARAQUAT PARKINSON’S DISEASE CLAIM?
If you have been exposed to Paraquat, the active ingredient in the herbicide Gramaxone, and have either been (1) diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease or (2) are experiencing Parkinson’s Disease symptoms, you may be eligible to take legal action and file a legal claim to join the Paraquat MDL (multi-district litigation) today to hold the manufacturers and companies accountable. Approximately 40% of those exposed to paraquat were first exposed to the herbicide in the 1960’s and 1970’s. To join, you will generally need to be able to demonstrate that you were exposed to the product for more than 20 days to join the legal process. Oftentimes, those exposed to the weed killer were agricultural workers, pesticide applicators or herbicide applicators and maintained an applicators license to purchase and apply the restricted-use herbicide. The majority of claimants with exposure to paraquat and Parkinson’s disease or symptoms have been prescribed the drug Levodopa as treatment.
While no state has been immune from Paraquat exposure, the states with the highest exposure and greatest use of Paraquat products include those with the most farm workers: South Carolina, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Louisiana, California, Florida, Texas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Montana, Georgia, North Carolina, Kansas, Iowa, Virginia, Indiana and West Virginia.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO FILE A PARAQUAT CLAIM?
At the Marin & Murphy Law Firm, we firmly believe that the client’s needs come above all else and have established a fully transparent fee structure to reflect that. We work on these dangerous herbicide cases on a strictly contingency fee basis, meaning that we do not receive anything from you unless we are able to recover money either by settlement or verdict. Regardless of what type of case you have or what is required, you will know everything up front with no surprises. We shoulder the costs of the filing and litigation on your behalf and at no risk to you. Call our Paraquat lawsuit attorneys at Marin & Murphy today to schedule your free consultation. It only takes a few moments and there is no obligation.
If you or a loved one developed serious medical problems including Parkinson’s Disease after being exposed to paraquat you may be entitled to financial compensation. Talk to a personal injury lawyer Marin & Murphy today at. The call and consultation are free and confidential.
PARAQUAT PARKINSON’S lawsuit attorneys
The herbicide and pesticide industry is an international financial powerhouse and is expected to grow to nearly $38 billion in annual revenue by 2025. Do not tackle it alone. Let us fight them for you to get the Paraquat lawsuit compensation you rightfully deserve. Our product liability lawyers utilize our legal experience hand in hand with some of the most experienced and respected attorneys nationwide and have the resources your case needs to stand toe to toe with corporate giants. Most of our paraquat clients suffered from health issues after agricultural industry occupational exposure or environmental exposure to paraquat products and paraquat poisoning.
Call our legal team of Paraquat lawsuit lawyers the Marin & Murphy today to schedule your free consultation and obtain legal representation and begin the Paraquat lawsuit filing process today. Don’t delay, certain States may have Paraquat lawsuit statute of limitations that may impede your Paraquat lawsuit eligibility.
It only takes a few moments and there is no obligation. We can help you gather your medical records, medical expenses and begin putting a Paraquat Parkinson’s disease lawsuit together on your behalf and get your case consolidated with the other Federal lawsuits in the Paraquat MDL. Any Paraquat settlement should allow those suffering from the harmful effects of exposure to a paraquat product to recover financial compensation and ensure an improved quality of life for the victims. Additionally, the experienced Paraquat lawyer that ultimately takes on your case will seek punitive damages to deter future harmful conduct by the makers of dangerous products like the Paraquat weed killer.
