BELLEVILLE — Chevron and others that manufactured and distributed paraquat herbicide products are facing a suit alleging exposure to those products has led to Parkinson's disease.
John Parker, Leslie Stumpf and Arlene Stumpf filed a complaint April 16 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Syngenta Crop Protection LLC, Syngenta AG, Chevron U.S.A., Inc., and Growmark Inc., alleging strict product liability and negligence.
The plaintiffs allege in their complaint that they regularly and frequently used the defendants' products that contain paraquat, which is used to kill weeds and grasses prior to growing various fruit, vegetable and plantation crops. They allege they suffered Parkinson's disease as a result of their exposure to paraquat.
The plaintiffs claim it was reasonable for the defendants to foresee their "highly toxic" paraquat products "used in a manner that was intended" would enter the human body and "create a substantial risk of harm" when exposed to paraquat. The plaintiffs further claim that the defendants failed to give warnings accompanying the products' directions or manufacture and formulate the products to make them unlikely to be inhaled or absorbed into the human body. They also allege the defendants failed to conduct proper testing on the exposure to paraquat being used in fields and orchards.
The plaintiffs seek compensation of more than $50,000 and all other just relief. They are represented by Stephen Tillery, John Craig, Rosemarie Fiorillo, Robert King and John Libra of Korein Tillery LLC in St. Louis and Robert Sprague of Sprague & Urban in Belleville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 21-L-366