Paraquat Lawsuit

Maine Paraquat Lawsuit & Lawyer

Paraquat (gramoxone) is one of the world’s most enduring herbicides. Due to its toxicity, Paraquat has been banned in 32 countries around the globe including all of Europe and China. However, Paraquat continues to be used in the United States despite overwhelming scientific data that Paraquat increases the risk of Parkinson’s disease, a debilitating and irreversible neurological disorder.

What is Paraquat?

Paraquat (paraquat dichloride) is a toxic weed-killing herbicide. Although Paraquat is more than 130 years old, it first began to be widely used in agricultural production in the United States during the 1960s. Paraquat is sold in two formulations – concentrate and granules. Paraquat is manufactured and sold by Syngenta and Chevron U.S.A., Inc.

Paraquat is used by farmers, agricultural workers, and landscapers to kill and prevent the growth of weeds and grasses in a variety of crops and plants. Paraquat works by binding to weeds and grasses, penetrating through the leaves, and disrupting photosynthesis, which is the process by which plants use sunlight to synthesize food from carbon dioxide and water.

For decades, Roundup has been the world’s most popular herbicide. However, many weeds are becoming resistant to Roundup and Syngenta has effectively marketed Paraquat as an alternative weedkiller.

Who Can Be Exposed to Paraquat?

Individuals most commonly exposed to Paraquat include those persons who are mixing, loading, and administering application of the herbicide on weeds and grasses, including farmers, agricultural workers, pesticide and herbicide applicators, landscapers, and groundskeepers.

Toxic exposure to Paraquat can occur when an applicator:

Gets Paraquat on their skin during application
Comes into contact with weeds or grasses that have been sprayed with Paraquat
Inhales or ingests Paraquat

What Injuries Are Associated with Paraquat Exposure?

A wide variety of epidemiological, animal, and cellular toxicity studies link Paraquat to a signature type injury – Parkinson’s disease. Paraquat is associated with Parkinson’s disease due to the chemicals ability to cross the blood-brain barrier after absorption or inhalation where it can kill healthy brain nerve cells via oxidative stress.

The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease can include:

Tremor (shaking of fingers, hands, or limbs)
Bradykinesia (slowed movement)
Muscle rigidity
Loss of automatic movement
Impaired balance
Speech changes

Parkinson’s disease is also often accompanied by additional complications including cognitive problems (dementia), depression and emotional changes, swallowing difficulty, chewing and eating problems, sleep disorders, and bladder issues.

Paraquat Litigation

A growing number of Paraquat lawsuits have been filed against Syngenta, Chevron U.S.A., Inc., and related entities in courts around the U.S. Plaintiffs allege that their use of Paraquat has caused them to suffer Parkinson’s disease. Plaintiffs further allege that these companies failed to provide adequate warnings about the risk of Parkinson’s disease. The lawsuits also contend that the companies knew or should have been aware based on a growing body of scientific evidence over several decades that Paraquat causes Parkinson’s disease. The Paraquat lawsuits seek significant compensation for injured plaintiffs including medical expenses, lost wages or earning capacity, pain and suffering, and disability and permanent injury.

In June 2021, federal lawsuits involving Paraquat were centralized in a multi-district litigation (MDL) before U.S. District Court Nancy J. Rosenstengel in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois (MDL No. 3004).