What You Need to Know About Paraquat and Parkinson’s Disease

What You Need to Know About Paraquat and Parkinson's Disease

If you were exposed to paraquat, you might have an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. If you or someone you love suffered from prolonged paraquat exposure, our network of mass tort lawsuit attorneys will explain what you need to know about paraquat and Parkinson’s Disease, the potential threat to your health, and your right to seek compensation.

Men and women who have been diagnosed with this debilitating disease after exposure to paraquat are fighting to recover damages for their medical care, lost wages, and physical and emotional pain and suffering. Our lawyers will review your case, collect evidence to prove your use of paraquat, and establish its connection to your or your loved one’s diagnosis. We will also assess your recoverable damages, assign a value to your case, and explain the compensation process and potential timeline.

What Is Parkinson’s Disease?

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine define Parkinson’s disease as a nerve-damaging disorder that attacks an individual’s motor skills, mobility, and muscle control. It typically leaves its sufferers with telltale tremors-particularly noticeable in the hands-and a slow, labored walking ability. The cause of the disease is not always known, but many studies cite a link between paraquat and Parkinson’s.

Talk to a health care professional immediately if your used paraquat-containing products and notice any of the following symptoms:

  • Tremors and shaking even when resting
  • Inability to move your feet on command
  • Inability to control your facial muscles
  • Poor posture, balance, and sense of smell

A prompt diagnosis can help you get the treatment you need without delay. 

The link between product and disease is also giving rise to a number of paraquat lawsuits. These cases are calling for manufacturers of the potential cancer-causing agent to compensate injured users. 

What Should I Know if I’m Considering a Paraquat Lawsuit?

Did the development of Parkinson’s due to paraquat change your life? If, like many others, you are contemplating filing or joining a paraquat lawsuit, you are probably also weighing the pros and cons of doing so. Some factors you need to know about seeking compensation include:

  • The types and amounts of damages you are legally entitled to recover
  • The applicable statute of limitations and the risks involved if you miss it
  • The detailed and specialized legal and medical investigations involved
  • The importance of working with a lawyer to support and guide your case

You should also know you can hire an attorney to fight for your financial recovery at no upfront cost to you. The lawyer who represents you will explain the benefits of a contingency fee agreement and their willingness to represent you without adding another financial burden to an already stressful situation.

Why File a Paraquat Lawsuit?

Lawsuits against the makers of herbicides containing paraquat allege that these companies were aware, or should have been aware, of the risks their products posed to end-users. National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers cite scientific studies that report a link between paraquat and Parkinson’s. You should join others in filing a paraquat lawsuit for compensation, if:

  • You were diagnosed with Parkinson’s after exposure.
  • A loved one used paraquat and did not survive Parkinson’s.

When you file your lawsuit, you also protect people who might use the product in the future. By calling attention to the danger of exposure or contamination, your lawsuit can help put needed protections in place. 

Compensation for Injuries

Parkinson’s disease is progressive and will continue to worsen over time. It is also incurable, and you will live it and cope with its incapacitating symptoms for the rest of your life. By filing your lawsuit, you could recover the cost of the lifelong care you will need. 

The lawyer who represents you will calculate the costs of your past, current, and future medical expenses. They will also define your right to seek the following additional damages:

  • Past and future income loss
  • Mental and emotional anguish
  • Ongoing physical pain and suffering
  • Funeral and burial costs, where applicable

If coming into contact with the toxic chemicals in paraquat damaged your health, the lawyers in our network can help you assign an accurate value to your recoverable damages. Your lawyer will also handle the settlement negotiation process and fight for the best possible outcome.

Hold Companies Accountable

When products are sold in the United States, their manufacturers are required to warn consumers about all known risks and side effects associated with their use. People who are suing paraquat manufacturers allege that the company was aware of the threat these products held and failed to provide proper warnings and information.

By exposing the connection between paraquat and Parkinson’s and the maker’s awareness of the connection, you can hold them responsible for their failure to disclose vital information. You could also hold them accountable for preventing you from making an informed decision.  

People who filed paraquat lawsuits claim manufacturers have known the weed killer was toxic and could cause Parkinson’s disease for years. Despite this, they continued to sell it and concealed this information from plaintiffs and others. Juries could assign this same accountability and will sometimes award punitive damages-intended to penalize defendants-to injured plaintiffs. 

Spread Awareness

Exposure to paraquat is dangerous and can happen in multiple ways, putting many people’s health in jeopardy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) research lists the following  as potential methods of exposure:

  • Swallowing or inhaling
  • Contaminated food or drink
  • Harmful skin exposure

Because of its widespread and decades-long commercial use, farmers and farmhands, agricultural workers, gardeners, and landscapers are more likely to be exposed. When you hold the manufacturer accountable, you also help these parties protect themselves and their families, and help injured parties consider their own rights to monetary compensation. 

Who Can File a Paraquat Lawsuit?

Anyone who was exposed to the herbicide, paraquat, and was later diagnosed with Parkinson’s or suffered other adverse health reactions can file a paraquat lawsuit. You may qualify if you:

  • Work in an industry that requires use of the product
  • Live near farms and grounds regularly treated with it

If you believe you qualify for compensation from paraquat manufacturers, an attorney can:

  • Review your potential case for free
  • Consult medical experts on your behalf
  • Identify the specific maker you will pursue
  • Assess the financial value of your case
  • Negotiate an appropriate settlement

You do not have to fight for recovery or navigate the legal process on your own. The lawyer who represents you will build your case, ensure all required legal parameters are met, and advocate for your financial recovery.

Who Has Filed Paraquat Lawsuits?

Many of the people who have filed a paraquat lawsuit cite a connection between their use of paraquat herbicides and Parkinson’s disease and other health challenges. Some recently filed cases include:

  • A farmer in Iowa who filed a lawsuit against Syngenta and Chevron USA for failing to warn consumers of the risks of using paraquat
  • An Illinois man who cites his more than decades-long exposure to contaminated water with his development of renal disease
  • A Missouri woman who alleges Syngenta’s paraquat products exposed her and her family to danger via her husband’s work as a certified paraquat applicator

Some studies cite even ambient, or casual, exposure to paraquat as harmful to human health. As these lawsuits make their way through the court system, others are being formed. You may qualify to start a lawsuit of your own or join an ongoing multi-plaintiff lawsuit.

Does Paraquat Cause Parkinson’s Disease?

A study published in the journal Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology reports a link between consumers who were exposed to paraquat and went on to develop Parkinson’s disease. Paraquat is thought to damage the brain’s dopaminergic neurons, the primary sources of dopamine in the central nervous system. 

The same toxins that make paraquat toxic for plants and weeds make it dangerous for human beings by causing a condition known as oxidative stress. Mayo Clinic research defines oxidative stress as an imbalance or impairment of your cell’s antioxidant capacity. This cell failure can result in disease progression in Parkinson’s patients. 

How Does Paraquat Exposure Happen?

Being exposed to paraquat is more difficult today than it once was. Paraquat is an active ingredient in many herbicides and pesticides and has been used for years all over the United States, but Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines severely restrict the use and handling of these products.

Prior to putting these recent restrictions in place, people could be exposed to paraquat by:

  • Working in industries that sprayed paraquat, including golf course workers, landscapers, farmers, and groundskeepers 
  • Eating sprayed or contaminated food or by consuming contaminated drinking water
  • Handling paraquat, including mixing or loading it or by transferring it from one container to another

Exposure can also happen by handling clothing or other objects and equipment used by any of the people above. In addition, you might have been exposed due to environmental factors if you live near farms or golf courses where the product is being used.

Does Roundup Have Paraquat?

Like paraquat-containing products, Roundup weedkiller has been in the news for its risk of causing adverse health conditions to consumers who use, handle, or are exposed to it. However, Roundup does not contain paraquat-it’s main ingredient is glyphosate, a known human carcinogen.

Products that contain glyphosate may pose an even greater risk to consumer health than products like Roundup. According to a study from the University of Washington, exposure can increase the risk of developing cancer by more than 40%. A lawyer from our network could help you join the ongoing Roundup MDL if you were exposed to this chemical rather than paraquat.

Is Paraquat Banned in the United States?

To the dismay of many consumers injured by its use and its possible increase in the risk of Parkinson’s disease, kidney disease, and many other negative health outcomes, paraquat has not been banned in the United States. Instead, as of August 2021, EPA guidelines and restrictions include:

  • Use by specially trained and certified product applicators only
  • Restrictive packaging that does not allow transfer to non-original containers
  • Protective storage to prevent access by all unauthorized and unapproved users

Its storage is also banned in residential areas, home and commercial gardens, parks and schools, and golf courses. In addition, new guidelines require complete and effective warning labels, protective equipment, protective clothing, and safe disposal methods. EPA warnings also include the awareness that a single sip of paraquat can be fatal. 

Filing a Paraquat Lawsuit for Parkinson’s Disease

When you are ready to seek compensation for your paraquat-related illness and the financial expenses and losses that stem from it, you can file a paraquat lawsuit. Holding the manufacturers of this harmful product liable is a multi-step, complex process. Without legal assistance, you will need to do the following on your own:

  • Obtain medical and financial records
  • Locate and consult expert witnesses
  • Establish your paraquat exposure
  • Prepare your lawsuit and court filings
  • Meet the relevant statute of limitations
  • Negotiate with the at-fault manufacturer

If you or someone you love was exposed to paraquat and later diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, our network of lawyers can help you file or join an ongoing lawsuit. Your legal team’s goal is to ensure you get the compensation you deserve without suffering additional harm. As such, many personal injury law firms operate on contingency, meaning you won’t have to pay anything out of pocket-your attorneys receive payment only when they win your case.

Choosing a Paraquat Lawyer

When you are ready to hold paraquat manufacturers accountable for the damages this chemical has caused you, our network of mass tort lawsuit lawyers is ready to help. Find out everything you need to know about paraquat and Parkinson’s Disease and your right to seek financial recovery by calling 800-874-8678

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