URGENT: Paraquat Exposure Linked to Parkinson's Disease
The Cochran Firm is evaluating injury claims on behalf of farmers, agricultural workers, groundskeepers, and others who have been exposed to the herbicide Paraquat and later developed Parkinson’s disease.
What is Paraquat?
Paraquat is a highly toxic herbicide primarily used for weed and grass control. The US Environmental Protection Agency classifies Paraquat as “restricted use” due to its high toxicity. Paraquat has been banned in 32 countries. In the U.S., only people who are licensed applicators and have been specially trained may use this product.
Paraquat is most commonly used on soybeans, corn, cotton, alfalfa, orchards, grapes, and pasture land. It is marketed throughout the U.S. under various brands names, including:
- Cyclone
- Helmquat
- Parazone
- Gramoxone
Farmers and agricultural laborers are most at risk for Paraquat exposure, but anyone who resides near an industrial farm may also be at risk of Paraquat exposure.
Is there a link between Paraquat and Parkinson’s Disease?
Scientific research indicates low-level chronic exposure significantly increases the risk of Parkinson’s disease. In 2017, the Unified Parkinson’s Advocacy Council sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warning that “the most recent scientific studies indicate Paraquat increases the likelihood of an exposed person developing Parkinson’s disease.” The Council cited strong scientific evidence linking the herbicide to Parkinson’s, including one study that found “people exposed to Paraquat at a younger age – in their teens or young adult years – had an increased Parkinson’s risk of 200 to 600 percent, depending on the overall number of years of exposure.” Another study showed that residents living near fields where Paraquat has been used between 1974 and 1999 had a Parkinson’s rate many times higher than other residents in that region. The Council also pointed to a third study that “found a 200 percent increased risk in farms that mixed or applied Paraquat” and concluded “that Paraquat use plays a role in human PD (Parkinson’s Disease).”
How Does Exposure Happen?
The primary route of exposure for Paraquat is occupational exposure, including during the mixing, loading, and application of Paraquat or during post-application processes. Paraquat is not registered for residential use, but residential exposure can occur for those living near farms where Paraquat has been applied.
Exposure can occur through inhalation, ingestion, or contact with the skin. Once Paraquat enters the human body, it can travel to several areas and cause toxic chemical reactions. The reactions can be immediate and severe, depending on the amount of exposure—e.g., increased heart rate, difficulty breathing, confusion, and seizures to lung scarring, kidney damage, multi-organ failure. Continuous exposure to low levels of Paraquat can also result in serious long-term health effects, including multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy, Parkinson’s Disease, and atypical Parkinson’s.
Why Choose The Cochran Firm?
Our law firm has been in existence for more than 40 years and is considered a national leader in this type of litigation. We expect to work directly with the Plaintiffs’ Executive committee overseeing federal lawsuits involving Paraquat. This means that we are directly involved in the national investigation and discovery that will hopefully result in a positive outcome for the individuals injured by this product.
We have substantial experience in environmental class actions, mass torts, and single-event environmental claims that have collectively resulted in multi-million dollar jury verdicts, settlements, remediation programs, medical screening programs, and compensation for personal injury and/or death. The Cochran Firm’s cases have included claims on behalf of municipalities and citizens against Solutia Inc. and Monsanto Company for PCB contamination, DuPont for heavy metal contamination, Kuhlman Electric and BorgWarner, Inc. for PCB contamination, FirstEnergy for fly ash contamination, and Ford Motor Company for lead paint contamination.
How Can The Cochran Firm Help You?
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease after Paraquat exposure, please contact The Cochran Firm today for a free, no-obligation initial consultation. You may be eligible to file a Paraquat lawsuit that can provide you with the financial compensation you deserve.
Our lawyers provide free, confidential consultations. If we are fortunate enough for you to hire us, we never will charge you any fees or costs unless you first recover.
We serve clients throughout the United States.
*Your identity and information will be kept confidential.
Please refer to the sources below for more information about the link between Parkinson’s disease & Paraquat.
Sadie Costello, Myles Cockburn, Jeff Bronstein, Xinbo Zhang, and Beate Ritz, “Parkinson's Disease and Residential Exposure to Maneb and Paraquat From Agricultural Applications in the Central Valley of California,” American Journal of Epidemiology, 2009; 169 (8): 919 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwp006 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19270050/
Donley, N. “The USA lags behind other agricultural nations in banning harmful pesticides,” Environmental Health 18, 44 (2019). https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/
Gatto, Nicole M. et al. "Well-Water Consumption and Parkinson’s Disease In Rural California." Environmental Health Perspectives 117.12 (2009): 1912-1918. Web. 19 July 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Tanner, Caroline M. et al., “Rotenone, Paraquat, and Parkinson’s Disease, Environmental Health Perspectives, 1 June 2011. https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, “Protocol for Scoping Review of Paraquat Dichloride Exposure and Parkinson’s Disease,” May 2018. https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ Vacarri, et al., “Paraquat and Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies,” Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Vol. 22: 172-202 (Sept. 2019). https://www.tandfonline.com/