AN Australian law firm has launched an investigation into a potential class action concerning paraquat and its alleged link to Parkinson's disease.
Shine Lawyers, a firm which has secured over $1 billion in past class action settlements and judgements, recently announced it is "exploring the possibility of a class action on behalf of potentially thousands of individuals who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease following exposure to paraquat."
The firm said the class action investigation aims to determine whether the manufacturers of paraquat knew or should have known about "the associated risks and failed to adequately warn consumers".
According to Shine Lawyers there are almost 6000 lawsuits pending throughout the United States, targeting paraquat manufacturers including Syngenta and Chevron, which allege prolonged exposure to the herbicide has led to the development of Parkinson's disease in numerous individuals.
"SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS" TO BE INVESTIGATED
Shine Lawyers joint head of class actions, Craig Allsopp, said there are over 150,000 people living with Parkinson's in Australia, and added people who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's "may have been exposed to paraquat without even knowing it."
"Anyone working on farms or farm equipment, spraying paraquat, or living near farms and wineries where paraquat has been used, may have been exposed to the herbicide," he said.
"More than 70 countries around the world have banned paraquat following the research on its link to Parkinson's, and Parkinson's Australia is actively petitioning the government to follow suit.
"We are committed to investigating these serious allegations, identifying any wrongdoing and ensuring that those affected receive just compensation."
Shine Lawyers said "recent studies" have raised concerns about its potential link between paraquat and Parkinson's disease, adding the World Health Organisation (WHO) says it's the fastest growing neurological condition globally.
PARAQUAT IN THE SPOTLIGHT
The alleged link between paraquat and Parkinson's disease was thrust into the spotlight last year after the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) made claims about the link in two articles.
Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) pushed for a correction, with one of its key concerns surrounding a claim in the articles there is "a growing number of independent studies linking paraquat to the incurable neurodegenerative condition."
APVMA said conclusions of its review, and a review undertaken by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), do not support the claim there is a growing body of evidence indicating a causal link between exposure to paraquat and the development of Parkinson's Disease.
As reported in Farming Ahead last year, a critical review of 269 publications on the topic, published between 2006 and 2021, also concluded the general consensus among the scientific community is the evidence does not support a claim that paraquat causes Parkinson's disease.
Nonetheless, litigation in the US surrounding herbicides is costing chemical companies billions of dollars in payouts, with glyphosate also a target. These cases, along with APVMA's proposal to ban many in-crop uses of paraquat and diquat, has raised serious concerns about availability of the herbicides long-term and how farmers will manage weeds under tighter chemical controls.
