If you believe that you or a loved one has been exposed to paraquat, you may be wondering how long paraquat stays in the soil. Typically, it lasts for six years so, within this period, a person could be exposed to this chemical. Due to this exposure, you may have been diagnosed with a medical condition.
If you have been diagnosed with a medical condition due to exposure to paraquat, you might decide it is time to reach out to a lawyer to find out what legal options are available to you. Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers are here to inform you of your legal rights and, if necessary, help you pursue financial compensation for your damages.
What Is Paraquat?
Paraquat (paraquat dichloride) is a chemical that’s typically used as an herbicide or weed killer. The United States still uses the chemical today, but most other countries banned it many years ago after studies showed that paraquat exposure is associated with Parkinson’s disease and other health conditions. Due to this, there are now many sick people suing for paraquat exposure.
How Could I Be Exposed to Paraquat?
People can be exposed to paraquat in several ways, such as eating or drinking paraquat-contaminated food or beverages, skin exposure, or if it’s inhaled, paraquat could cause poisoning that then leads to lung damage. Paraquat can also seep into the soil, contaminating it and then possibly contaminating people exposed to the soil.
Generally, paraquat stays in the soil for six years, according to a source noted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). During this time, bacteria in the soil break down the chemical into water, carbon dioxide and ammonia. However, the chemical may still contaminate anyone exposed to the soil. After the six-year degradation period, the soil likely won’t be toxic anymore.
How Do I Know If I Was Exposed to Paraquat?
It can be difficult to tell whether you were exposed to paraquat. Your doctor might be able to recognize that you were exposed to the chemical and attribute paraquat exposure to a medical condition, such as Parkinson’s disease. Additionally, your employer or previous employer may be able to tell you whether you have been exposed to paraquat, worked with a paraquat product, or if you worked or lived where a paraquat product was used.
Signs and Symptoms of Paraquat Exposure
You should see your doctor if you believe you could have been exposed to paraquat, have any of the signs of paraquat exposure, have symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, or have a different medical condition attributed to paraquat exposure.
If a person survives the toxic effects of paraquat poisoning, long-term lung damage is likely. Other long-term effects can also occur, including heart failure, kidney failure and esophageal strictures (scarring that makes it hard to swallow).
Risk Factors Involved in Paraquat Exposure
Certain groups of people are at a higher risk of exposure than others. These groups include:
- Product applicators
- Product bottlers
- Pickers
- Landscapers
- Farmers
- Agricultural workers
- Growers
However, other people are also at risk of paraquat exposure. These individuals include those who:
- Sprayed, mixed, loaded, or were in proximity to a paraquat product
- Handled a paraquat product in a manufacturing facility
- Worked in a location that was exposed to a paraquat product
- Lived in or near a location exposed to a high volume of a paraquat product
Additionally, anyone who used the following paraquat products or a similar paraquat product may be at risk:
- Gramoxone SL 2.0 herbicide
- Blanco
- Para-SHOT
- Parazone
- Firestorm
- Helmquat
- Devour
- Ortho-Paraquat
- Quick-Quat
Can I Sue if I Was Exposed to Paraquat in the Soil?
As a result of paraquat exposure, many Americans have become sick and decided to sue paraquat manufacturers. Today, over 1,000 lawsuits have been filed, and many of them have been combined into an ongoing class action lawsuit against manufacturers.
If you were exposed to paraquat and, as a result, acquired a medical condition, you can participate in the class action suit or file your own lawsuit. You have the right to pursue compensation for your damages.
How Can a Paraquat Lawyer Help?
If you want to see what your legal options are for pursuing compensation for your damages, you might decide to reach out to a lawyer. An attorney will be able to inform you of your options which could help you to decide whether you’d like to be involved in the class action suit against paraquat manufacturers.
Additionally, your lawyer will likely be able to assist you with the following:
- Referral to a trusted medical professional who can provide medical care and potentially proof of paraquat exposure;
- Help collect evidence for your case, such as your employment records showing you worked with a paraquat product;
- Establish the product manufacturer’s negligence, which is necessary to establish their liability for your damages;
- Help you list all your damages, such as your physical pain, mental anguish, medical bills, lost wages, disability, etc.;
- Help determine the monetary value of your damages, including your non-financial damages, which may help the product manufacturer or a judge come to a fair settlement or verdict;
- Communicate your case to the product manufacturer or a judge and negotiate your settlement or verdict with them;
- Take the product manufacturer to court, which may result in a fairer outcome.
Our lawyers have helped many people participate in the paraquat class action suit, so we know what steps to take to get you involved if you decide to do so.
Contact Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Our firm serves the people in California and nationwide and stands up to large companies and their insurers and lawyers. We’ve been doing this for decades and have been very successful over the years. To date, we’ve recovered over $750,000,000 for our clients.
If you or a loved one are diagnosed with Parkinson’s after long-term Paraquat exposure, we can help you hold the manufacturers accountable. We can work for you on a contingency fee basis so you won’t have to pay any fees until your lawyer recovers a settlement or verdict for you. Contact Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation and case review.
