Chlorpyrifos Parkinson’s Disease Lawsuit Claims Years of Insecticide Exposure Caused Neurological Side Effects

Complaint alleges pesticide makers concealed neurological risks while continuing to sell Dursban, Lorsban and other widely used insecticides containing chlorpyrifos for decades.

A former pest control worker has filed a product liability lawsuit, alleging that 23 years of mixing and spraying chlorpyrifos insecticides caused irreversible neurological damage that resulted in his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Alexander Ramos on June 16 in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, naming Corteva Inc., Corteva Agriscience LLC, The Dow Chemical Company and FMC Corporation as defendants. The case was removed to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on July 17.

The chlorpyrifos lawsuit alleges the companies designed, manufactured, marketed and sold insecticide products for decades without adequately studying their long-term effects on the adult brain or warning users that repeated exposure may cause Parkinson’s disease. Ramos claims the defendants instead concealed evidence of the pesticide’s neurotoxicity and continued promoting the products as safe.

Chlorpyrifos Parkinson’s Disease Risks

Chlorpyrifos is a broad-spectrum organophosphate insecticide that kills foliage and soil-borne pests by interfering with acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme that plays a critical role in nervous system function. Farmers, farmworkers, pesticide applicators, pest control employees and groundskeepers commonly mixed and applied the chemical using handheld sprayers, truck-mounted tanks and agricultural equipment.

Dow first introduced chlorpyrifos in the United States in 1965, and products containing the chemical were later sold under brand names that included Dursban, Lorsban, Cobalt, Bolton, Nufos and Stallion. Although most residential uses were withdrawn in 2000, agricultural and other occupational applications continued for years afterward.

However, there is now mounting research that has directly linked long-term exposure to chlorpyrifos and Parkinson’s disease, as well as oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and the loss of dopamine-producing brain cells. In 2018, an independent analysis of Dow-sponsored research also allegedly identified neurological effects at exposure levels previously characterized as safe.

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive and incurable neurological disorder that damages dopamine-producing brain cells responsible for controlling movement. Common symptoms include tremors, slowed movement, muscle stiffness, impaired balance, difficulty walking and, as the disease advances, loss of independence.

Against this backdrop of research linking the insecticide to neurological injuries, individuals are now pursuing chlorpyrifos Parkinson’s disease lawsuits, alleging manufacturers failed to adequately study the long-term risks or warn workers that repeated exposure could cause permanent brain damage.

Pest Control Worker Chlorpyrifos Lawsuit

According to the complaint, Ramos worked for a pest control company from 1992 through 2015, where he was repeatedly exposed to chlorpyrifos products manufactured, distributed or sold by the defendants. He claims the exposure occurred while he personally mixed and applied the chemical with truck-mounted tanks and handheld sprayers, as well as while working near other employees spraying the insecticide.

He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017. However, Ramos claims he did not learn that chlorpyrifos caused his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis until much later, because the manufacturers never warned users about that alleged risk. Ramos maintains that product labels, medical professionals and other available information gave him no earlier reason to suspect his workplace exposure was responsible for the disease.

Ramos alleges the defendants never proposed a chlorpyrifos label warning that repeated exposure could cause Parkinson’s disease. He claims they also failed to communicate the alleged risk through advertisements, sales representatives, training programs or other materials provided to pesticide users.

Instead, the complaint maintains the companies continued marketing chlorpyrifos as safe for its intended uses while concealing or downplaying information about its neurological dangers. Ramos says he relied on those representations and would have avoided chlorpyrifos if the alleged Parkinson’s disease risk had been disclosed.

“By failing to include a Parkinson’s warning on the Chlorpyrifos label, Defendants took unreasonable advantage of the reasonable reliance of consumers, including Plaintiff, on the warning labels and other advertising and marketing materials used by Defendants to market and sell Chlorpyrifos.”

Alexander Ramos v. Corteva Inc. et al. Case ID: 260602361

The lawsuit also claims safer broad-spectrum insecticides were technologically and economically available throughout the period when Ramos worked with chlorpyrifos. Those alternatives allegedly included pyrethroid, carbamate and neonicotinoid products.

As a result of his Parkinson’s disease, Ramos says he can no longer work or maintain steady employment. He alleges the progressive condition will continue to impair his motor function and eventually prevent him from living independently.

The complaint presents claims of negligence, strict product liability for failure to warn, design defect and unfair or deceptive business practices. Ramos seeks compensation for permanent physical injuries, disability, pain, mental anguish, diminished enjoyment of life, lost income and medical expenses, as well as punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and other relief through a jury trial.

Chlorpyrifos Insecticide Parkinson’s Disease Lawsuits

Lawyers are investigating chlorpyrifos lawsuits for individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease after repeated exposure to chlorpyrifos-containing insecticides, including:

• Personally mixing or applying chlorpyrifos
• Working on a farm during or after chlorpyrifos applications
• Living on a farm where chlorpyrifos was regularly used
• Using chlorpyrifos as a residential insecticide
• Working near chlorpyrifos spraying or pesticide drift
• Occupational exposure through pest control, construction, golf course maintenance or military service during the Gulf Wars

In addition to farmers, pesticide applicators and other individuals exposed during routine use, lawyers are also investigating Parkinson Disease lawsuits for veterans who were exposed during the first Gulf War.

Chlorpyrifos lawyers provide free consultations and claim evaluations for individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, reviewing their treatment history, the products involved, and the location, duration and circumstances of their exposure to determine whether they qualify to pursue a claim.

All chlorpyrifos lawsuits are handled on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no upfront legal fees or expenses, and attorneys are paid only if they successfully obtain compensation.

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