Does paraquat exposure cause Parkinson’s disease?

Scientific studies have linked chronic paraquat exposure to an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, with those exposed at young ages seeing the greatest increases in risk. Like other neurotoxins, paraquat dichloride is thought to contribute to an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease by causing damage and loss of function to dopamine neuron cells in the part of the brain known as the substantia nigra. Parkinson’s disease remains a complex and somewhat mysterious medical condition, and it’s not always caused by exposure to paraquat specifically or neurotoxins more generally. Genetic factors, head trauma, and other environmental exposures may also contribute to Parkinson’s disease. If you believe exposure to paraquat may have contributed to your illness, it’s important to speak to a knowledgeable attorney who can begin an investigation and determine whether the likelihood of the chemical exposure’s impact on your condition is sufficient to provide grounds for a successful claim.

How long after paraquat exposure do symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and other injuries appear?

Paraquat exposure that is sufficient to constitute poisoning can lead to immediate symptoms that include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Exposure to a large amount of paraquat can lead to seizures, coma, or fatal respiratory failure very quickly. In a matter of days or weeks, you could sustain lung scarring or failure of the heart, liver, or kidneys due to exposure to even a small amount of paraquat. However, the increase in Parkinson’s disease risk is a long-term effect rather than a short-term one. It can take years, and potentially over a decade, for the use of paraquat herbicide to result in the development of Parkinson’s disease.

Can I sue for Parkinson’s disease and other injuries associated with paraquat exposure?

You may be able to sue for the development of Parkinson’s disease in connection with commercial herbicide exposure. To do so, you’re going to need the assistance of experienced paraquat lawsuit lawyers like Anapol Weiss. Successfully securing compensation for your claim means not only proving that you have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and documenting all resulting damages but also establishing your exposure to the chemical as the cause of the illness. We understand the legal demands of establishing these elements and have the resources, including cutting-edge investigative technology and access to knowledgeable expert witnesses, that are needed to handle your claim as effectively as possible.

What compensation can you seek in a paraquat lawsuit?

Through a paraquat lawsuit, you can pursue compensation for all legally recognizable losses you suffered, including: Medical expenses: The costs of diagnosing and treating Parkinson’s disease, such as testing, surgery, medications, and minimally invasive interventions Loss of income: The lost wages and loss of future earning capacity due to the serious symptoms of the progressive disease Pain and suffering: The non-economical but still very real losses in quality of life, emotional health and well-being, and physical pain and loss of function Our goal as your paraquat lawsuit lawyers will be to recover the full amount of compensation available to you. We know how extensively Parkinson’s disease can change your life, and we’ll fight to secure compensation that makes you as financially whole as possible.

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Paraquat Lawsuit

Paraquat Lawsuit Lawyers

Paraquat Injury Attorneys in Philadelphia, PA

Exposure to the commercial herbicide paraquat has put landscapers, farmers, and other agricultural workers at risk of serious health hazards, including Parkinson’s disease. This exposure could change your life, compromise your mobility and physical function, and leave you permanently disabled. With the stakes this high, you need experienced help holding accountable the manufacturers of these chemicals. The paraquat lawsuit lawyers at Anapol Weiss aid those injured by exposure to toxic chemicals in securing maximum compensation.

Our paraquat injury attorneys in Philadelphia, PA, are here to help you fight back against the manufacturers of hazardous chemicals and prepare for the future of living with Parkinson’s disease. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Paraquat Injury Claims in Philadelphia, PA

The widely used commercial-strength herbicide paraquat dichloride kills weeds and unwanted grass, but it’s restricted for good reason. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) characterizes the chemical as “highly toxic”—so much so that even a small accidental sip of the chemical can be fatal. The EPA also considers paraquat corrosive to the skin and the eyes. The use of the chemical is banned in the European Union and certain other countries.

If you have developed Parkinson’s disease following a career of applying or otherwise being exposed to paraquat weed killers, you may have a legal right to hold the manufacturers of such chemicals accountable. Our paraquat lawsuit lawyers routinely help victims injured through toxic exposures exercise this right by filing a claim for compensation. Through a civil claim or lawsuit, you can recover compensation for losses that include your medical bills, future medical expenses, and loss of income, among other types of damages.

Paraquat Exposure

Because of the known health risks, paraquats' use, as well as the purchase and handling of the chemicals, are restricted to licensed applicators. Unfortunately, licensed applicators and others working in fields that have been treated with the chemical are at risk of the hazardous health effects of exposure. In some cases, even living near a farm that uses paraquat herbicides can be sufficient to put your health at risk.

Herbicides that contain paraquat include:

Gramoxone
Devour
Blanco
Hemquat
Para-Shot 3.0
Parazone
Firestorm
Tota-col

You can be exposed to paraquat dichloride through:

Swallowing of even a small sip of the liquid chemical
Inhalation
Exposure via skin contact or contact with surfaces, ranging from clothing to furniture, on which chemical has rubbed off
Consumption of foods or drinks that have been contaminated with paraquat

Exposure to paraquat can have immediate acute effects, but certain consequences of chronic exposure, such as Parkinson’s disease, can take a decade or longer to appear.

What to Know About Paraquat Exposure and Parkinson’s Disease

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research reported that, despite 2017 calls from the Unified Parkinson's Advocacy Council for the EPA to deny regular re-registration of paraquat, the EPA reapproved the chemical for U.S. use in 2020.

Per the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, “many” studies have linked paraquat exposure to Parkinson’s disease. In one such study, researchers concluded that exposure during teen or young adult years could increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by as much as 200% to 600%, depending on how long the chronic exposure continued.

Paraquat exposure is thought to increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease through the chemical’s ability to affect the dopamine neuron cells found in a small area of the brain called the substantia nigra. The chemical can lead to a loss of function in these cells. Other neurotoxins associated with Parkinson’s disease raise the risk of the condition through similar mechanisms.

Parkinson’s disease is no minor medical condition. Slowed movements, changes in speech and writing, muscle stiffness, tremors, and problems balancing are only some of the symptoms that most commonly manifest among patients with the condition.

While early stages of Parkinson’s disease often afflict only one side of the body with relatively mild systems, this progressive neurological disorder can impact your life more at each stage. By stage two, the symptoms become significant enough to affect your daily routine. Stage three presents considerable dangers, as symptoms like loss of balance and slowed movements can put you at risk of falling and getting hurt. The symptoms that characterize stage four can limit your mobility so much that you need a walker. By stage five, you’re likely to be bedridden. In addition to the severe physical consequences of the disorder, you may also experience psychological symptoms that include hallucinations.

There’s no doubt that developing Parkinson’s disease has a huge impact on your life. It’s essential that you receive the compensation you deserve, an outcome that is going to require the skilled legal services of experienced paraquat injury attorneys in Philadelphia, PA.

How Anapol Weiss Can Help

Anapol Weiss provides the comprehensive legal assistance your family needs when dealing with a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis and questions about the claims process. We’re here to guide you through the legal system and secure the results that most completely compensate you.

You can count on our attorneys to:

Provide an in-depth evaluation of your case during a free initial consultation
Ensure you understand your legal rights and all options that may be available to you
Diligently conduct investigations on our clients’ behalf
Gather evidence that supports all claims of negligence and product liability against all potential defendants
Handle all aspects of your legal case, from claims paperwork and formal document filings to deadlines and representation in legal proceedings
Negotiate a settlement that fairly compensates you or, if an agreement can’t be reached out of court, present a strong case for you at trial

Throughout the process of seeking compensation, we’re on your side, advocating for your best interests and minimizing the hassle of the legal process. We want you to focus on your health, so we ensure that getting the compensation you’re entitled to is as stress-free a process as possible.

Why Choose Anapol Weiss?

Throughout Philadelphia and nationwide, our name is known for providing leading legal advocacy. Anapol Weiss is making high-level contributions to mass tort cases that shape the legal system, securing clients maximum compensation on a consistent basis, and ensuring the injured can retain skilled professional legal help at no upfront cost.

Steering Mass Tort and Multidistrict Cases Toward Successful Outcomes

Through court appointments, Anapol Weiss’s attorneys have served in numerous leadership positions in multidistrict litigation cases and executive and steering committees. We’re making a difference on a large scale, spearheading litigation that could affect thousands of victims and establishing new legal precedents for the future.

Cultivating a History of High-Value Product Liability Results

The proven results we have achieved for victims injured by dangerous products include $225 million in Sorin Heater-Cooler Systems litigation, a $26 million verdict against General Motors for defective auto design, a $20 million verdict over a tractor-trailer company’s inadequate rear-end under-ride protection, and a $12 million verdict against a football helmet manufacturer. We’ve also achieved $500 million in environmental toxin claims over asbestos exposure and billions of dollars in pharmaceutical liability matters. With our paraquat lawsuit lawyers on your side, you can feel confident that your legal counsel is prepared to stand up to major companies like Syngenta and Chevron, Inc. and fight for maximum compensation.

Providing Nationally Respected Legal Representation at No Upfront Cost

Our paraquat injury attorneys in Philadelphia, PA, know how significant the financial hardships that result from Parkinson’s disease can be. We’re committed to ensuring you can afford top-notch legal representation without adding to this economic burden. Anapol Weiss represents the injured on a contingency basis, allowing you to proceed with your claim without ever having to pay upfront fees.

Contact the Paraquat Lawsuit Lawyers at Anapol Weiss Today for a Free Case Review

If you’re wondering whether exposure to paraquat at work or while living in a rural area could be to blame for the development of Parkinson’s disease, your next step should be to consult the seasoned paraquat lawsuit lawyers at Anapol Weiss. We can review the details of your work history, residence, and medical history and help you determine your legal options as part of a free consultation.

For help from paraquat injury attorneys in Philadelphia, PA, contact Anapol Weiss online or call 215-608-9645 today.

Frequently Asked Questions About Paraquat Injury Lawsuit Claims in Philadelphia and Throughout Pennsylvania

Scientific studies have linked chronic paraquat exposure to an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, with those exposed at young ages seeing the greatest increases in risk. Like other neurotoxins, paraquat dichloride is thought to contribute to an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease by causing damage and loss of function to dopamine neuron cells in the part of the brain known as the substantia nigra.
Parkinson’s disease remains a complex and somewhat mysterious medical condition, and it’s not always caused by exposure to paraquat specifically or neurotoxins more generally. Genetic factors, head trauma, and other environmental exposures may also contribute to Parkinson’s disease. If you believe exposure to paraquat may have contributed to your illness, it’s important to speak to a knowledgeable attorney who can begin an investigation and determine whether the likelihood of the chemical exposure’s impact on your condition is sufficient to provide grounds for a successful claim.
Paraquat exposure that is sufficient to constitute poisoning can lead to immediate symptoms that include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Exposure to a large amount of paraquat can lead to seizures, coma, or fatal respiratory failure very quickly. In a matter of days or weeks, you could sustain lung scarring or failure of the heart, liver, or kidneys due to exposure to even a small amount of paraquat.
However, the increase in Parkinson’s disease risk is a long-term effect rather than a short-term one. It can take years, and potentially over a decade, for the use of paraquat herbicide to result in the development of Parkinson’s disease.
You may be able to sue for the development of Parkinson’s disease in connection with commercial herbicide exposure. To do so, you’re going to need the assistance of experienced paraquat lawsuit lawyers like Anapol Weiss. Successfully securing compensation for your claim means not only proving that you have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and documenting all resulting damages but also establishing your exposure to the chemical as the cause of the illness. We understand the legal demands of establishing these elements and have the resources, including cutting-edge investigative technology and access to knowledgeable expert witnesses, that are needed to handle your claim as effectively as possible.
Through a paraquat lawsuit, you can pursue compensation for all legally recognizable losses you suffered, including:
Medical expenses: The costs of diagnosing and treating Parkinson’s disease, such as testing, surgery, medications, and minimally invasive interventions
Loss of income: The lost wages and loss of future earning capacity due to the serious symptoms of the progressive disease
Pain and suffering: The non-economical but still very real losses in quality of life, emotional health and well-being, and physical pain and loss of function
Our goal as your paraquat lawsuit lawyers will be to recover the full amount of compensation available to you. We know how extensively Parkinson’s disease can change your life, and we’ll fight to secure compensation that makes you as financially whole as possible.