It has long been known that pesticides cause harm to humans when ingested through eating fruits and vegetables, and also when inhaled by people who live close to spraying operations.

In a study conducted by Harvard University last year, researchers found links between Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and pesticides. The study was published in the American Journal of Pediatrics. The four researchers that conducting the study found evidence of pesticides in the urine of children in the study. Whether the exact cause of the ADHD in the children is the result of pesticides is still not entirely clear.

Back in April of 2009, another group of researchers at UCLA linked chemical pesticides sprayed on crops to higher incidences of Parkinson’s Disease. First, the scientists studied the people that lived nearby farm fields where these chemicals were being sprayed in the Central Valley of California. They found that two chemicals that were sprayed on crops could be directly linked to a 75% increase of Parkinson’s disease. Then they went back and studied people who lived in the general vicinity but not immediately next to the fields. They found a third chemical that could be linked to the cause of the disease. The conclusion reached by those who conducted the study was that those exposed to the chemicals maneb, paraquat, and ziram increased the risk of contracting Parkinson’s disease by a factor of 300 percent.

They also concluded that exposure to the chemicals occurred years before the onset of symptoms including decreased motor skills. The pesticides affected not only people working in and living nearby the fields but anyone within reasonable proximity to the spray zones. The pesticides drift and end up on animals and plants. They also float into people’s homes making them a silent deadly enemy to unsuspecting victims.

Pesticides are used in farming operations, lawn care, pet care products, and in household cleaning and fumigation products. All of these products contain substantial amounts of inert ingredients that can be harmful to your health. Poisoning from pesticides can cause damage to the nervous, hormonal, and immune systems as well as cancer and even death. The EPA actually classifies 26 of the most widely used pesticides as carcinogens.

Filing a Suit

Filing a lawsuit for a personal injury caused by a toxic substance such as a pesticide is called a product liability case or toxic tort. If you or someone you love has suffered a serious personal injury due to exposure to a pesticide, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. There can be numerous people at fault in a pesticide case involving product liability including employers, cultivators, landowners, grower-shippers, pesticide applicators, pest control consultants, the manufacturers and sellers of the pesticide, trucking companies, and governmental agencies.

At Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law, we understand the emotional toll and life-altering impact that serious injuries can have on you and your family. If you or someone you love has been injured, contact the experienced Georgia product liability attorneys at Montlick and Associates for your free initial consultation. Call 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333), or complete our free case evaluation form at www.montlick.com. Montlick & Associates has been helping those injured by defective products in the Atlanta area and throughout Georgia and the SouthEast for over 39 years including the cities of Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller and rural towns in the area.