MARTINSBURG — A man is suing Syngenta Crop Protection alleging that he suffers from Parkinson's disease because of his exposure to paraquat.
John Barrat filed the lawsuit against Syngenta Crop Protection, Syngenta AG and Chevron U.S.A. Inc. claiming he was exposed to paraquat through herbicide products made by the defendants over many years, which caused him to be diagnosed with Parkinson's, according to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia.
Barrat claims paraquat was "designed, manufactured, formulated, and packaged such that it was likely to be inhaled, ingested, and absorbed into the bodies of persons who used it, who were nearby while it was being used, or who entered fields or orchards where it had been sprayed or areas near where it had been sprayed," according to the suit.
Barrat is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. He is represented by Robert B. Warner of Warner Law Offices and Aimee H. Wagstaff and David J. Wool of Andrus Wagstaff Lakewood.
The case is assigned to District Judge Gina Groh.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia case number: 3:21-cv-00050