Paraquat Injuries
Have you become ill or diagnosed with Parkinson’s after you were exposed to paraquat? Paraquat poisoning is life-threatening and often fatal. Chronic low-level exposure also poses serious risks and can lead to Parkinson’s disease. You may be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries.
The award-winning mass tort injury attorneys at Rosen Injury Lawyers are prepared to fight for the compensation you deserve for your paraquat injuries. Contact us today to find out what we can do for you.
What is Paraquat?
Paraquat is a highly toxic herbicide and one of the most commonly used agricultural chemicals in the U.S. This chemical, introduced in the 1960s, is used to control weed and plant growth. Paraquat is typically used on farms after harvest as a cost-effective solution to clear the land without tilling.
Unfortunately, Paraquat is incredibly dangerous. Exposure through contact, ingestion, or inhalation can cause paraquat poisoning. It can also cause serious long-term health problems.
Paraquat has been used for decades, and most workers who were exposed had no idea the health risks they faced. If you have suffered harm from paraquat exposure, the manufacturer may be financially liable.
Paraquat injury cases are a type of toxic tort case under premises liability law. When manufacturers fail to warn users of their products about unreasonable risks of foreseeable harm, they can be held strictly liable in most states.
Types of Paraquat Injuries
Paraquat injuries are divided into two broad categories: poisoning (immediate effects) and paraquat exposure (long-term effects).
Exposure to Paraquat can easily lead to Paraquat poisoning. Inhaling or ingesting Paraquat, even in small amounts, is often fatal. It may happen when farmworkers consume paraquat-contaminated food or beverages, inhale the chemical, or come into contact with the chemical during use.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Paraquat Poisoning?
Paraquat poisoning typically causes symptoms right away. Immediately after exposure, you may experience pain and swelling of the throat and mouth.
Common symptoms of Paraquat exposure include:
- Severe gastrointestinal symptoms, such as vomiting, abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea
- Low blood pressure
- Dehydration
- Trouble breathing
If a person ingests or inhales a large amount of Paraquat, they may experience symptoms such as:
- Fast heart rate
- Confusion
- Muscle weakness
- Respiratory failure
- Coma
- Acute kidney failure
- Pulmonary edema
- Liver failure
Paraquat poisoning is usually fatal.
What Are the Long-Term Consequences of Paraquat Exposure?
Long-term damage of Paraquat may become apparent within days of accidental ingestion. Inhalation can cause organ failure, heart failure, respiratory failure, liver failure, kidney failure, and scarring of the lungs.
Pulmonary fibrosis, or lung scarring, might develop within days or weeks of poisoning. This condition causes respiratory failure, the leading cause of death after paraquat poisoning. Acute renal failure can also occur within a day of ingestion.
Does Paraquat Cause Parkinson’s Disease?
Chronic exposure to paraquat poses additional health risks. Farmers, farmworkers, and people who live near where paraquat is used are at the highest risk of chronic poisoning. This refers to repeated or long-term low-level exposure to paraquat that may not produce symptoms for years.
Paraquat exposure is strongly linked to the development of Parkinson’s disease (PD). According to the Unified Parkinson’s Advocacy Council, chronic exposure to paraquat increases the risk of PD by 200% to 600%.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous system disorder. Symptoms worsen over time as the disease causes stiffness of the limbs, tremors, slow movement and reflexes, and trouble with coordination, balance, and movement. Eventually, patients with Parkinson’s struggle to speak and walk. Parkinson’s can also cause non-motor symptoms like depression, apathy, cognitive impairment, and insomnia.
What is My Paraquat Injury Case Worth?
The value of your toxic tort case depends on many factors, including:
- The severity of your injuries
- The level of exposure to paraquat
- The circumstances of your exposure
- Whether you qualify to join a mass tort action
- The long-term impact your injuries will have on your health, quality of life, and ability to work
A recently settled toxic tort action against Roundup (Monsanto) is similar to the paraquat lawsuits now being filed. In 2021, the first mass tort paraquat litigation began when an MDL was formed. In 2015, litigation over Roundup began due to claims the weedkiller caused non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This led to an MDL which was settled in 2020 for $11 billion and resolved nearly 100,000 lawsuits in federal and state court.
Many toxic tort claims involving severe illness like Parkinson’s disease ultimately settle for $100,000 or more. However, the best way to understand the value of your unique case is through a free consultation with a paraquat injury lawyer.
What Compensation Can I Recover After a Paraquat Injury?
The manufacturer, distributor, and/or retailer of paraquat may be held responsible for the damages you have suffered through use or exposure. Paraquat cases are brought under product liability and failure to warn.
This means your case will be based on the manufacturer’s failure to warn of the unreasonable risks and proper use of paraquat. In most states, this is considered a product defect; manufacturers can be held strictly liable, even if they were not negligent.
You are entitled to fair compensation for your economic and non-economic damages as a result of paraquat exposure, including:
- Medical bills you have already incurred
- Future medical costs you will face due to your illness
- Lost wages
- Diminished or lost earning capacity
- Personal losses, such as pain, suffering, emotional trauma, mental anguish, and reduced quality of life
Rosen Injury Lawyers will not rest in fighting for the full compensation you deserve. We understand just how dramatically a serious illness will affect your future, and we will fight the manufacturer’s attempts to minimize the severity of your losses.
How Long Do I Have to File a Paraquat Injury Lawsuit?
The deadline to file your case depends on the laws in your state. In most states, the deadline does not begin until you discover your injury or illness. Paraquat exposure may not cause symptoms for many years.
It’s crucial to contact an experienced mass tort injury lawyer as soon as possible once you discover your illness. The statute of limitations in toxic tort cases can be complicated; you may have a limited amount of time to file your case.
Contact Rosen Injury Lawyers today for a free case review so we can begin pursuing the compensation you need.
Contact a Paraquat Injury Lawyer for a Free Consultation
When you are left seriously injured after paraquat exposure, the manufacturer should be held accountable. An experienced toxic tort injury lawyer can help you fight for the compensation you deserve for your paraquat injuries.
Call Rosen Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation to explore your legal options and get the representation you deserve.