Dangerous Weed Killers and Pesticides

The Smith Law Center, the largest personal injury firm on the Virginia Peninsula, handles these kinds of specialized cases. It’s an area of the law that few other injury law firms take on.

Attorneys Helping People Injured by Herbicides and Pesticides

Most of us have used herbicides and pesticides on our yards. We may not always read the labels or realize how dangerous these products that kill weeds and bugs can be. In some cases, a manufacturer may be liable for medical conditions caused by the use of these products.

While it can be very clear when a client has been hurt in an accident on the highway or at a business, the health impact of weed killers and pesticides are less obvious and may set in over time.

However, there is very clear evidence that some of the most popular garden products cause serious conditions.

Roundup is Linked to Cancer

One of the highest profile claims against a herbicide manufacturer involves the commonly used Roundup weed killer.

Recently, cancer researchers reported that glyphosate, a major ingredient in Roundup, is likely carcinogenic to humans.

A report compiled by the International Agency for Research on Cancer investigated organophosphate herbicides. It linked the popular herbicide to lymphoma.

Almost 800 cancer patients are suing Monsanto, the maker of Roundup, claiming the giant agriculture company failed to warn Roundup users about the risk of cancer associated with the product.

More than 365 lawsuits against Monsanto were centralized in multidistrict litigation. The plaintiffs claim exposure to glyphosate caused non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL).

Roundup is associated with other serious side-effects including:

• Leukemia
• Bone Cancer
• Renal Cell Carcinoma (cancer of the kidneys)
• Multiple Myeloma
• B-cell Lymphoma
• Skin tumors
• Chromosomal Damage
• Damage to the DNA

Claims that Roundup is linked to cancer follow a 2015 report from the International Agency for Research on cancer. This division of the World Health Organization declared glyphosate to be “probably carcinogenic,” reported CBS.

The report linked glyphosate to cancer in lab tests on animals and found the chemical damaged DNA in human cells.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in the process of evaluating glyphosate, a standard procedure for chemicals every 15 years.

Experts appeared in court in March 2018 to give evidence about Roundup chemicals.  A study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute stated that among the 54,000 farmers studied, glyphosate did not appear to create an elevated risk of almost any cancer. The study stated just one particular type of cancer, acute myeloid leukemia (AML), appeared to be linked to glyphosate.

However, these findings are disputed by lawyers representing hundreds of people who say they suffered health symptoms after using Roundup.

Dangerous Pesticides May Harm the Development of Children

Many pesticides have been linked to a wide range of symptoms. However, watchdogs are often slow to take action.

A series of studies point to a link between chlorpyrifos, a chemical commonly used in pesticides and a range of disorders in children including ADHD, autism, lower intelligence and the kinds of tremors associated with Parkinson’s Disease. Many of these disorders are lifetime conditions.

Chlorpyrifos was patented by Dow Chemical more than 50 years ago. It’s a multi-purpose insecticide that’s used for everything from treating household pets with fleas to protecting crops from mites. Trade names include Lock-On, Lorsban, Cobalt, and Dursban.

As long ago as 2000, Mother Jones reported how a voluntary agreement with Dow appeared to have removed the product from shelves.

On the back of reports of hundreds of children being rendered ill by the pesticide, the EPA said it was stopping the manufacture of the chemical. However, the EPA did not ban Dursban, or recall the product already on store shelves.

The agency did nothing to limit the use of scores of chemically related pesticides called organophosphates that remain on the market.