Paraquat Lawsuits Could Lead The EPW To Ban The Deadly Herbicide

The deadly dangers of paraquat are numerous yet farmers rely on the herbicide for their existence

Friday, May 14, 2021 - There is a movement afoot to place an outright ban on using paraquat in the United States. Those concerned about the safety of their health, their children's health, and also to protect the environment cite the link between spraying paraquat and developing Parkinson's disease as one of many reasons to stop using it. Other reasons are the high number of people that have attempted to commit suicide by drinking paraquat. Paraquat is highly toxic and the saying goes "as little as a teaspoon of paraquat can kill you." According to Parkinson's News Today, "The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) is urging support for a landmark piece of U.S. legislation that would ban damaging pesticides, including the herbicide paraquat that has been linked to an increased risk of Parkinson's disease." People are lining up to file lawsuits against Syngenta, the maker of paraquat, one of the world's most heavily used herbicides. People with Parkinson's disease or their loved ones claim that coming into regular contact with the defoliant while spraying it or by living or working in a nearby neighborhood caused the disease. Others have filed suit when a loved one accidentally or purposefully ingested paraquat and died. Paraquat attorneys are interviewing people with Parkinson's disease or their loved ones to see if paraquat exposure could have contributed to their suffering.

Environmental groups want paraquat banned, no questions asked. Some have recently cited the effect that eating the fruit and vegetables that have been sprayed with paraquat has caused the chemical to start to show up in children's blood and urine samples and are concerned that this could contribute to incidences of childhood obesity and autism. Paraquat is banned throughout the European Union, Switzerland, Brazil, and China, a country not known for its environmental sensitivity, to put it bluntly. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supports the use of paraquat as safe if used as directed by the current label.

Farmers throughout the United States spray paraquat on row crops like corn, cotton, and soybeans to kill weeds and to dry out just before harvesting them. Farmers claim that without the weed killer, their production costs would skyrocket, forcing them to pass the costs on to consumers in the form of higher commodity prices. Minnesota is the state with the highest amount of farmland and uses paraquat the most. Environmental advocates have petitioned the EPA to ban paraquat citing the other countries that are protecting their citizen's health. Paraquat is often used by farmers when weeds evolve to be resistant to other herbicides like Monsanto's glyphosate. The chemical is not sold in stores and a special license must be granted before one is allowed to use it. "To comply with state and federal laws, only certified pesticide applicators who have received training can use it. Farms must take precautions before putting paraquat to use, and the average person will likely never interact with paraquat," according to the Minneapolis Legal Examiner.

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.