Scientific Paraquat Parkinson's Disease Studies Will Carry Weight During MDL Scientific Discovery

Environmentalists and trial lawyers are convinced coming into contact with paraquat repetitively over time with developing Parkinson's disease

Friday, October 29, 2021 - Environmentalists and trial lawyers are clearly on the same side in their opinion that scientific evidence links coming into contact with paraquat repetitively over time with developing Parkinson's disease, a deadly neurological condition. Parkinson's disease gradually destroys a person's ability to walk, talk, think, and all other forms of muscle coordination. Scientific tests on laboratory animals have concluded that inhaling low doses of paraquat repetitively over time destroys the cells in the brain that produce dopamine, the neurological chemical responsible for muscle coordination. Farmers and farmworkers that come into direct contact with the defoliant are the most at risk, but so are the millions of people that live, work, and play in the communities that surround farms that spray paraquat. Residents of paraquat farm communities say that paraquat contamination is discernible because the distinctive smell of paraquat is constantly in the air.

Over 150 paraquat lawsuits have been filed in Federal court through multidistrict litigation (MDL) to avoid repeating discovery and administrative court proceedings. MDL cases will be heard individually, but the expert witnesses that will be allowed to give testimony will be predetermined to avoid those who would inflame a jury's emotions or testify to junk science. The paraquat MDL is presided over by The Honorable Nancy J. Rosenstengel in the United States District Court in the Southern District of Illinois, a state with one of the highest number of farms that use paraquat and one nearest to other states that use paraquat the most. In addition to Illinois," California. Texas. South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, and Arkansas" are the states with the highest use of paraquat with more than 3 lbs of paraquat sprayed per square mile, according to EGlaw.com. A class-action lawsuit is also underway by farmers, farmworkers, and nearby community residents that have not been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease but demand that Syngenta and Chevron, the makers of paraquat, pay for ongoing Parkinson's disease and other medical testing.

Judge Rosenstengel will have months to consult with paraquat Parkinson’s experts provided by both sides to determine which scientific theories are the most credible. The Unified Parkinsons Advocacy Council wrote a letter to the Environmental protection agency in 2017 alerting the government that people that handle paraquat are six times more likely to develop Parkinsons's disease. Unfortunately, the EPA all but ignored this piece of evidence and others when earlier in 2021, they renewed the license for farmers to use paraquat for another 15 years, igniting a firestorm of opposition from environmental and farmworkers health organizations like the Farmworker Association of Florida and EarthJustice who have filed suit against the EPA for extending paraquat's license. The American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) has stated that there is no proven connection between using or inhaling paraquat and developing Parkinson's disease. The pro-paraquat group writes, "paraquat probably can't cross the blood-brain barrier efficiently enough to cause the neurological damage at the root of PD." The ACSH also claim that studies have found that the number of cases of Parkinson's disease among those who work at paraquat mixing facilities is relatively low."

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.