New Zealand Man Dies From Drinking Wine Laced With Paraquat in An Apparent Homicide

Paraquat continues to cause human death accidentally or on purpose from homicide or suicide

Thursday, March 3, 2022 - Paraquat poisoning is suspected to have caused the death of a New Zealand farmer who died recently after drinking wine he found in his mailbox and thought was a gift. "Police found he had been poisoned before his death, with poison placed in one of two bottles of wine left in his letterbox," according to Stuff.nz. The man started vomiting immediately after taking his first sip of wine which is consistent with the speed at which ingesting paraquat causes death. Paraquat weed killer is so deadly that only a single sip causes instant death. The Auckland New Zealand farmer spent 2 weeks on life-support in intensive care in the hospital before dying from kidney failure and was able to speak with police. Two bottles were found at the scene of his physical collapse. One of them, according to Stuff.nz, contained paraquat. In addition to making and drinking wine, Mr. Davan also made homebrewed beer and non-alcoholic ginger beer. Even though Mr, Davan was extremely well-liked and respected, foul play is suspected with Davan giving local police several leads. Forensic testing has begun on the wine bottles to try and find the source of the paraquat.

New Zealand and the US are two countries that still allow Paraquat spraying. Lawsuits alleges the defoliant of causing paraquat Parkinson’s disease. Around 50 countries including the EU and China have banned the chemical because of its extreme toxicity to humans. "In 2013, the California Poison Control System and the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) sent letters of concern to EPA regarding a series of deaths from accidental ingestion of the pesticide paraquat in the San Joaquin Valley of California," according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. About 50 people in California died in 2013 from drinking paraquat. 12 were accidental and the remainder apparent suicides. The EPA has put into place regulations since then to ensure that the general public does not have access to paraquat. One such regulation prohibits storing paraquat in any container other than the original to try and prevent people from accidentally confusing it with another drink. Homeowners are prohibited from using paraquat. "All paraquat products registered for use in the United States are Restricted Use Pesticides (RUPs), which can only be sold to and used by certified applicators." According to the EPA, Paraquat continues to be the source of human fatalities. A 70-year-old female died accidentally from drinking paraquat out of a re-used iced tea bottle that had been used to store the chemical. The women suffered for 16 days before succumbing to kidney and respiratory failure. A 44-year-old male died after a three-week hospital stay when accidentally drinking paraquat that looked like juice. An 8-year old boy died from drinking paraquat that his older brother left in a cokebottle in the family garage. These are just a few of the thousands of deaths that paraquat has caused worldwide. Paraquat lawsuits claim that working with the weed killer or living near farms that spray paraquat contributes to Parkinson's disease, a neurological disorder.

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.