The Dangers of Paraquat: Should You File a Paraquat Lawsuit? - Paraquat has been used for many years by Wisconsin farmers to control weeds and grasses. But what are the dangers of using this powerful herbicide and do you have grounds for a paraquat lawsuit?
Continue reading to learn more about paraquat and your legal rights.
What is paraquat?
Paraquat is the chemical name for a potent herbicide or weed-killing substance sold under a variety of brand names. Gramoxone, Alligare, FarmWorks, Bayer Advanced Brush Killer, Firestorm, Spectracide, Avenger Weed Killer, Glyphosate Plus, Helmquat, and Parazone are all brand names for paraquat.
Paraquat is a potent and effective herbicide, but it is also extremely harmful to humans.
In the United States, paraquat is marketed as a liquid with ingredients such as a blue dye and a strong odour to act as warnings not to swallow it, as well as an extra chemical that will produce vomiting if consumed.
Ingestion of the product, on the other hand, is not required to cause injury. Skin contact or even inhalation of the vapours might cause harm. When a person is exposed to paraquat, the exposed section of their body can suffer injury. The paraquat is then distributed throughout the body, where it can damage other organs and create long-term ailments.
Where is paraquat used?
Paraquat is a weed killer that kills practically every plant it comes into contact with. Since its introduction in the 1960s, commercial farmers and other agricultural workers in the United States have used paraquat to control exotic weeds and grasses. It is also frequently used to dry out or kill commercial crops such as corn, soy, and cotton before harvesting.
Since the 1960s, the pesticide paraquat has been used to manage invasive weeds and grasses in the commercial agriculture industry.
Since 2007, the European Union has prohibited the use of paraquat because of mounting evidence that it is particularly hazardous to European farmers. Despite these prohibitions in other countries, it is not prohibited in the United States. In fact, it is one of the most commonly used herbicides in the United States.
The EPA defines paraquat as “restricted use.” This means that the highly dangerous product can only be used commercially by licensed applicators. There are no paraquat products available to the general public, and paraquat should never be used on private property, gardens, parks, or schools.
The pesticide’s prolonged restricted usage has prompted some concerned paraquat attorneys to engage with farmworkers to verify their health has not been harmed by herbicide exposure. But what should you keep an eye out for?
What are the risks of paraquat use?
When swallowed, paraquat, like many other strong agricultural pesticides, is exceedingly harmful, causing damage to the mouth, stomach, and intestines. It can also be ingested and absorbed through the skin, or it can enter the body through the lungs.
After entering the body, paraquat is dispersed throughout the body, triggering hazardous chemical reactions in organs such as the lungs, liver, brain, and kidneys.
Paraquat exposure symptoms
Justice Now’s paraquat experts investigated the impact of paraquat exposure and discovered that it varies depending on how (and how frequently) the exposure occurs.
If you consume a substantial dose of paraquat, you will experience severe symptoms very quickly. Paraquat poisoning causes mouth and throat pain and swelling, followed by gastrointestinal disorders such as diar rhoea, vomiting, and nausea.
Most people will have both short-term and long-term symptoms from less acute and evident exposures. Short-term symptoms often appear within hours or weeks of exposure and can be lethal.
Symptoms of short-term paraquat exposure include:
- Coma
- Confusion
- Accelerated heart rate and eventual heart failure
- Fluid in the lungs, lung scarring, and respiratory failure
- Gastrointestinal problems like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea
- Kidney and liver failure
- Muscle weakness
- Seizures
- Paraquat and Parkinson’s disease
Farmers and agricultural workers who become exposed to low levels of paraquat over time may not have short-term or other symptoms for many years.
Instead, these people frequently suffer from long-term paraquat side effects such as:
- Scarring and lung damage
- Kidney and heart disease
- Esophageal scarring
- Obstacles to reproduction
- Parkinson’s disease is more likely to occur.
If you’ve had any of these symptoms, use our free online case evaluation to contact a paraquat lawsuit lawyer right now.
Has paraquat exposure affected your quality of life?
Personal injury experts in The Justice Now are looking into cases where people who worked with paraquat developed Parkinson’s disease or symptoms. People who use this product are mostly farm workers or people who live in farming communities.
If you have been directly exposed to paraquat and have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease or are experiencing tremors, contact The Justice Now, a local legal firm, to learn more about the expanding paraquat cases and whether you have a case. There are no out-of-pocket expenses for you to consult with our knowledgeable team of paralegal experts. The Justice Now is a firm that has been assisting clients for over 10 years. You may rely on our staff to assist you in understanding your legal rights. Now is the time to complete a free case evaluation.
