Two Louisiana residents who each spent decades in agricultural jobs have filed federal lawsuits against manufacturers of the herbicide paraquat, alleging that their exposure to the chemical led to the development of Parkinson’s disease.
The plaintiffs, including former Louisiana State University AgCenter extension agent Thomas Normand, filed their complaints May 25 against manufacturers Chevron U.S.A. and Syngenta Ag. They allege that the companies failed to warn people who regularly came into contact with crops sprayed with paraquat about the risk of developing the disease from long-term, low-dose exposure.
“Epidemiological studies have found that exposure to paraquat significantly increases the risk of contracting Parkinson’s disease,” the complaint filed in the Northern District of California, where the defendants marketed and distributed the herbicide, states. “A number of studies have found that the risk of Parkinson’s disease is more than double in populations with occupational exposure to paraquat compared to populations without such exposure.”
The paraquat cases filed by Normand and Michael Hensgens, who worked as a distributor of paraquat in Louisiana, are among scores of recent cases alleging the manufacturers failed to provide warnings about what the lawsuit alleges is an elevated risk of developing Parkinson’s.
In an email to the Louisiana Record, Syngenta expressed sympathy for the plaintiffs and others who suffer from the progressive disorder. The company also said it remains dedicated to providing farmers with the safe, effective products they need to do their jobs.
“There is no credible evidence that paraquat, which has been widely used for more than 55 years, causes Parkinson’s disease,” the company’s statement says. “No peer-reviewed study, including the largest study which involved 38,000 farmers, has ever concluded paraquat causes Parkinson’s disease. The (Environmental Protection Agency) and other government authorities have extensively analyzed this issue and similarly found no evidence that paraquat causes Parkinson’s disease.”
Syngenta also vowed to stand by the herbicide amid the allegations of deceptive marketing practices.
“The facts simply do not support the plaintiffs’ allegations, and we intend to defend this product and our legal position vigorously in court,” the company statement says.
One of the law firms representing the plaintiffs, Herman, Herman & Katz LLC in New Orleans, said the recent lawsuits may eventually become part of multidistrict litigation with other paraquat cases filed around the country. If that happens, the cases would be transferred to one judge for pre-trial considerations.