Farmer Brings Class Action Lawsuit Over Paraquat:
By now, you may have heard of the dangers of Paraquat, a popular herbicide linked to Parkinson’s Disease. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classifies Paraquat as “restricted use,” meaning you must have a license to purchase and use the weed killer. However, farmers are among those most affected by the dangers of Paraquat, and one Iowa farmer is leading the charge against the manufacturer.
Iowa Farmer Brings Class Action Suit
Doug Holliday’s attorneys filed the suit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa on May 3, 2021. The lawsuit is just one of many filed in the last month against the manufacturers and distributors of Paraquat. Holliday farms near Greenfield, Iowa, in Adair County, and has been using the weed killer on his crops since the 1990s. Holliday is suing Syngenta for manufacturing and distributing Paraquat on behalf of all farmers who have used the popular herbicide.His lawsuit alleges “Paraquat causes Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative, debilitating neuromuscular disorder for which there is no cure.” The suit accuses Syngenta of failing to adequately warn Holliday and others that exposure to Paraquat significantly increases the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. The suit also alleges that Syngenta failed to test Paraquat adequately.
The Dangers of Paraquat
Paraquat is an extremely effective herbicide. It is immediately toxic to anything green it touches, interrupting a plant’s chlorophyll production and killing it almost immediately. Many farmers prefer Paraquat because plants are developing resistance to glyphosate-based herbicides like Roundup. But Paraquat can be just as deadly to humans.Holliday’s lawsuit refers to Paraquat as “the most highly, acutely toxic herbicide to be marketed over the last 70 years.” Holliday may be right. Imperial Chemical Industries first manufactured Paraquat in 1961 as Gramoxone. Syngenta still manufactures the chemical under the same name, but now about a dozen companies also manufacture Paraquat under different brands.Paraquat is highly toxic if accidentally, or intentionally, ingested or inhaled and has a very high death rate as a result. The chemical is also linked to Parkinson’s Disease. Animal studies suggest that Paraquat causes mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress, which experts believe causes Parkinson’s Disease. More than 50 countries, including China, have banned Paraquat because of its toxicity. Syngenta is a Switzerland-based company, and, ironically, Switzerland has banned Paraquat since 1989.If you or a loved one were harmed by exposure to Paraquat, contact the Madeksho Law Firm at 1-888-910-6376 or through our online form. Your initial consultation is free, and you never pay a fee unless we recover compensation on your behalf.
