Paraquat Lawsuit In 2024 | A Complete Guide Facts & Updates
Filing a lawsuit will help you get fair compensation for the losses and injuries you have suffered. In addition, it will also spread awareness about the dangers of paraquat and help others who may be at risk. People who filed paraquat lawsuit claim that manufacturers knew the weed killer was toxic and could cause Parkinson’s disease for years. Still, they persisted to sell paraquat and hide this information from plaintiffs and others.
Filing a lawsuit will hold companies accountable for their negligent behavior. Furthermore, in some cases, juries typically award punitive damages to punish companies for willfully endangering the public. Lawyers are representing farmers, agricultural workers, and others in lawsuits to get a fair paraquat lawsuit settlement.
Understanding Paraquat
Since the 1960s, Paraquat has been used in agricultural and commercial farming in the United States. Some people use it on their job, while others live near farms that use the toxic weed killer.
In accordance with the letter sent to the EPA in 2017 by the Unified Parkinson’s Advocacy Council, people exposed to paraquat and a pesticide called “maneb” had more risk of developing Parkinson’s.
Why File a Paraquat Lawsuit?
If you are exposed to paraquat that leads to Parkinson’s disease, filing a Parkinson’s disease lawsuit is your best decision. An experienced paraquat lawyer will help you file your claim for potential compensation and hold companies accountable for wrongdoing. Additionally, it will help you spread awareness about the dangers of paraquat.
Compensation for Injuries
There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease. Therefore, people suffering from the disease have to undergo treatment for the rest of their lives.
Filing a lawsuit will secure compensation to pay for costly medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses due to past and future care. Moreover, you will also receive compensation for physical and emotional pain and suffering and loss of quality of life.
Who can file a paraquat lawsuit?
If you or someone close to you is exposed to this herbicide and struggling with this brain disorder, you can file a claim to recover maximum compensation from the liable herbicide manufacturers. Here is a list of people who can file a paraquat lawsuit in 2024.
- Agricultural workers, such as farmers, growers, licensed paraquat applicators, pickers, and landscapers.
- Anyone who works around commercial weed killers and pesticides.
- People who live near farmland are sprayed with paraquat.
Key aspects to tell your attorney before filing a paraquat lawsuit
Anyone exposed to paraquat and suffers from Parkinson’s disease can file a claim, but contacting a paraquat lawsuit lawyer is the only way to be sure you qualify.
The first step when filing the lawsuit is assessing your eligibility. As people who have Parkinson’s disease have a difficult time explaining their situation, the involvement of a family member is crucial. They will provide you with a team of experts with the necessary information. First, we need to know some key aspects, such as:
- The date and time when your member was exposed to paraquat.
- The date and time when your family member received their diagnosis.
- What medical expenses are incurred by their Parkinson’s disease?
- Under what circumstances does the paraquat exposure occur.
- How much distress is their brain disorder causing them in their everyday life.
- How much time has passed from the day of diagnosis.
- How severe the paraquat exposure was.
Examples of Paraquat lawsuits
Many people who filed paraquat lawsuits have used paraquat for years without knowing the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Therefore, the claims against manufacturers include:
- Design defects.
- Failure to warn.
- Willful conduct.
James Hemker along with his wife Judith filed this claim against Syngenta and Chevron in February 2021. Hemker used paraquat frequently over the course of several years. His lawsuit claims that he was suffering from Parkinson’s because of the prolonged exposure to paraquat.
Michael Joseph Kearns and his wife Jean Rae filed a paraquat compensation claim against Syngenta, Chevron, and Growmark in December 2020. Kearns lived near fields where paraquat was used. He had used paraquat for years without knowing the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
EPA Reviews Paraquat
Every 15 years, the EPA re-evaluates the use of pesticides and figure out whether to allow them on the market or not. Therefore, in October 2020, the EPA released its interim decision reapproving paraquat to use with new proposed safety measures to lessen the risk to humans and the environment.
Proposed new safety regulations include:
- A restricted entry time of 48 hours for all uses and crops except cotton desiccation.
- A ban on aerial application excluding cotton desiccation.
- A ban on pressurized handgun and backpack sprayer application methods.
- Add label language for mandatory spray drift management.
- Fixed limit on the maximum application rate for alfalfa.
- Requires a drift buffer in residential areas and a 7-day restricted entry interval for cotton desiccation.
- Requires PF10 respirators or closed cabs if the area treated in 24 hours is 80 acres or less.
Reasons to choose Ethen Ostroff Law Firm?
Some types of paraquat exposure are harder to determine than others. However, a skilled and experienced paraquat lawyer in Philadelphia will help prove your case without any hassle.
Therefore, if you want a lawyer who cares about you and the outcome of your paraquat lawsuit, choose Ethen Ostroff. He and his professional connections ensure you get every dollar possible for what you went through.
- We evaluate the extent of paraquat exposure of your family member.
- We assess how much distress Parkinson’s disease is causing to your family member.
- We will be able to tell you with all the certainty whether your family member qualifies to file a paraquat claim or not.
- We will gather all the strong evidence of paraquat exposure and crucial information about how the manufacturers failed to warn about the dangers of this herbicide.
- We will file your claim to help you receive the compensation your family member is entitled to.
You will receive your compensation within 3 months to 1 year following the claim submission. In addition, your paraquat lawsuit settlement amount will range between $10,000 and $200,000, depending on how much suffering Parkinson’s disease has caused your family member.