CHARLESTON — A man is suing Syngenta Crop Protection alleging that he suffers from Parkinson's disease because of his exposure to paraquat, a synthetic chemical compound.
Kenneth Turner filed his complaint against Syngenta Crop Protection, Syngenta AG and Chevron U.S.A. Inc. in U.S. District Court in Charleston. He says he was exposed to paraquat through herbicide products made by the defendants over several years, which caused him to be diagnosed with Parkinson's.
Turner 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.
John Barrat filed his nearly identical lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Martinsburg.
Both men are seeking compensatory and punitive damages.
Turner is represented by Robert B. Warner of Warner Law Offices and N. Majed Nachawati and Patrick A Luff of Fears Nachawati. Barrat is represented by Warner as well as Aimee H. Wagstaff and David J. Wool of Andrus Wagstaff Lakewood.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia case number: 2:21-cv-00211 (Turner) and U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia case number: 3:21-cv-00050 (Barrat)