Parkinson’s Lawsuit – Paraquat Pesticide | Attorney
Parkinson’s disease can strike farmers who were exposed to Paraquat (Gramoxone), a toxic herbicide. Some people are filing lawsuits which allege their Parkinson’s was caused by Paraquat exposure.
Matthews & Associates Law Firm is working up cases for people who were diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease following Paraquat (Gramoxone) exposure. Anyone who has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease after being exposed to Paraquat is invited to email us for a free legal case consultation. Use the form at this link to contact our Pesticide Litigation Group, or call us toll free any time: (888) 520-5202.
Crop-Duster files Paraquat Parkinson’s Disease Lawsuit
A former crop duster filed a Paraquat Parkinson’s disease lawsuit late in 2020.The man alleges that he was “repeatedly exposed” to Paraquat from 1969-1981, and later developed Parkinson’s. His petition claims that he “inhaled, ingested or absorbed” Paraquat sprayed on farm fields near Edgerton, Wisconsin, and Danville, Illinois. His lawsuit accuses Chevron, Syngenta, and Growmark of failing to warn about Paraquat’s raising the risk of Parkinson’s disease. The former crop duster’s Parkinson’s disease lawsuit was filed by Michael J. K. on December 21, 2020 in St. Clair County, Illinois — Case No. 20L1006.
Class Action Lawsuit over Parkinson’s Paraquat Link
The first Parkinson’s Paraquat link lawsuit was a class action lawsuit filed in October 2017. Three farmers in St. Clair County, Illinois filed the suit after they all developed Parkinson’s disease following years of Paraquat herbicide exposures.
Other Recent Parkinson’s Disease Lawsuits
Another Parkinson’s disease lawsuit was filed by an Illinois man in January 2019. He blames his illness on Paraquat exposure (St. Clair County Circuit Court Case Number 18-L-805).
Several additional Parkinson’s disease lawsuits were also filed in California state court in April 2019. The plaintiffs include ten men stricken with Parkinson’s after they were exposed to Paraquat while they worked in agriculture.
Studies link Paraquat, Parkinson’s Disease
Paraquat (Gramoxone) — 250% Increased Risk of Parkinson’s Disease
A large study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2011called the Farming and Movement Evaluation investigated the risk of Parkinson’s disease from Paraquat exposure. The scientists found that people who sprayed Paraquat on crops were 250% more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease (emphasis ours).
Researchers in 2012 found that agricultural workers in Central California exposed to Paraquat herbicides on crops were 11X more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than people not exposed. (Traumatic brain injury, paraquat exposure, and their relationship to Parkinson disease)
Paraquat Parkinson’s Links
No one knows what causes Parkinson’s in most cases, but scientists who want to study the disease expose animals to Paraquat to make them develop Parkinson’s. Despite clear links to Parkinson’s, the EPA still allows U.S. farm workers to spray Paraquat on growing food.
Parkinson’s Disease 101
Parkinson’s disease causes progressive damage in a part of the brain that controls movement. Classic signs of Parkinson’s include tremors (involuntary shaking), stiff or rigid muscles, slow movements, poor balance.
Parkinson’s and the Brain
Nerve cell damage in the brain causes Parkinson’s disease symptoms, cell damage to nerve cells in the brain that make dopamine and norepinephrine. These chemical messengers transmit electrical signals from brain to body. A lack of these neurotransmitters causes movement problems, but also many non-motor symptoms that include mental changes, sleeping issues, depression, memory loss, fatigue, constipation, and more.
Parkinson’s not Uncommon
According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, roughly 1 million Americans have Parkinson’s disease. It is most often seen in people over 70, and more often seen in men than in women. Parkinson’s is considered incurable by most practitioners; but some treatments can relieve some symptoms.
Parkinson’s Disease Risk Factors
Parkinson’s disease risk factors include exposure to toxic chemicals, herbicides, pesticides, heavy metals, or possible head injuries. Genetics are a primary factor in just 10% of Parkinson’s cases. Fully 90% of Parkinson’s disease cases are thought by experts to be caused by a person’s environmental exposures. (The same percentages roughly apply for cancer.)
Parkinson’s Disease Lawsuit
Matthews & Associates Law Firm is now working up Paraquat-linked Parkinson’s disease lawsuits in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s following Paraquat (Gramoxone®) exposure, contact us now for a free legal case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Pesticide Litigation Group now, or call us toll free anytime at (888) 520-5202.
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