Paraquat Packaging May Force Farmers To Breathe It Directly While Mixing It Before Application

Farmers are required to pour and mix the deadly chemical several times per day exposing them to fumes and dust

Monday, November 15, 2021 - Swiss Info.com told readers the other day that the bill that Swiss-based, Chinese-owned chemical company Syngenta could be forced to pay could run into the billions of dollars. Even that number could be too low as hundreds of such lawsuits have been filed by farmers, farmworkers, and people who live, work, and play near farms that spray the deadly defoliant allege to have developed paraquat Parkinson's disease, a deadly, irreversible neurological disorder. Studies alleged that paraquat can enter the body in low, yet lethal doses when inhaled as it is floating in the air over farms and farm communities. Those that are suing Syngenta say that the smell of paraquat is always in the air. Swiss Info describes on typical paraquat lawsuit as being brought by a farmer and a heavy paraquat user on his soybean, cotton, corn, and fruit orchards. Parkinson's disease is a leading cause of death in the over 65 age group. The plaintiff said he had no idea that there was a connection between spraying paraquat and developing Parkinson's disease and cited that "A study sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences published in 2011 found that users of the herbicide developed the neurodegenerative disease 2.5 times more often than non-users," according to Swiss Info. The plaintiff told the news organization that he had a problem with paraquat packaging as if forced him to pour the contents of a large amount of paraquat into smaller containers several times per day to make it ready for application to his crops. Handling the chemical this way may have caused him to breathe the paraquat fumes more frequently and directly. One of the reasons for the plaintiff initiating a lawsuit was to seek monetary compensation for the increase in insurance premiums he has had to pay as his disease progressed. That increase alone could cost Parkinson's disease sufferers tens of thousands of dollars more each year in insurance premiums for decades. The farmer told Swiss Info that his family's insurance premiums were now $35,000 per year and climbing every year.

Paraquats license for application has been approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency for another 15 years, even though the chemical is banned in more than 30 countries in the European Union and elsewhere. Both China and Switzerland ban the use of the chemical but not the production of it for export, which should tell you something. The EPA claims to have looked at the scientific studies and can not say there is a definitive link between paraquat and developing Parkinson's disease. That connection will be center stage as the scientific evidence between using paraquat or living near a farm that uses paraquat and developing the neurological disease is examined. Special hearings in multidistrict litigation will allow expert scientific witnesses from both sides to testify before a judge. The EPA banned the use of paraquat on the thousands of US golf courses two years ago making their decision to renew its license seem motivated by money more than protecting citizens' lives.

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.