Gulf War Veteran Parkinson’s Disease Lawsuits Investigated Over Pesticide Use During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm

Exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos during the first Gulf War could be associated with an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, which may not manifest until decades later.

Lawyers are investigating potential Parkinson’s disease lawsuits for Gulf War veterans who may have been exposed to chlorpyrifos while deployed during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm more than 35 years ago.

Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate pesticide that was widely used for decades to kill insects. During the Gulf War, the U.S. military shipped thousands of cases of the pesticide to the Persian Gulf region, where troops faced significant problems with flies, mosquitoes, sand flies and other pests.

However, questions about the potential long-term neurological effects of those exposures have emerged in recent years, as researchers increasingly examine the role chlorpyrifos may play in the development of Parkinson’s disease.

Chlorpyrifos Parkinson’s Disease Concerns

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder caused by the loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain. Symptoms frequently begin gradually and may include tremors, muscle stiffness, slowed movement, difficulty walking, impaired balance and changes in speech or handwriting.

Because the disease may not become apparent until decades after a potentially harmful exposure, veterans diagnosed today may have little reason to connect their symptoms with pesticides they encountered during a deployment in 1990 or 1991.

However, these concerns are gaining renewed attention following the publication of research earlier this year that identified chlorpyrifos as a specific environmental risk factor for Parkinson’s disease.

As a result, lawyers are now investigating chlorpyrifos Parkinson’s disease lawsuits for Gulf War veterans who are entering their 50s, 60s and older ages, when Parkinson’s disease is more commonly diagnosed. In addition, claims are also being pursued for individuals directly exposed to the pesticide while living or working on farms, as well as other agricultural settings.

Chlorpyrifos and Parkinson’s Disease

In January, UCLA Health researchers reported that individuals with long-term residential exposure to chlorpyrifos were more than 2.5 times as likely to develop Parkinson’s disease as those without such exposure.

The researchers analyzed 829 individuals with Parkinson’s disease and 824 people without the condition, using California pesticide records and residential and workplace histories to estimate exposure.

Laboratory testing also found chlorpyrifos exposure caused movement problems and loss of dopamine-producing neurons in mice, as well as brain inflammation and abnormal accumulation of a protein associated with Parkinson’s disease.

Researchers indicated the findings identify chlorpyrifos as a specific environmental risk factor for Parkinson’s disease and provide biological evidence explaining how the pesticide may damage brain cells.

Parkinson’s Disease Risks for Gulf War Veterans

Pesticides like chlorpyrifos were extensively used during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm to protect military personnel from insects and rodents, which presented both a nuisance and the risk of diseases.

A review of Gulf War pesticide exposures by the National Academies indicates nearly 4,000 cases of chlorpyrifos, containing 12 bottles each, were shipped to the Persian Gulf during the conflict. The National Academies is an independent, congressionally chartered organization that provides expert scientific advice to the federal government.

Other historical reviews estimate approximately 8,410 pounds of chlorpyrifos were available during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. However, researchers have been unable to determine exactly how much was ultimately used or the exposure experienced by individual service members.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, about 697,000 U.S. service members deployed to the Persian Gulf during the first Gulf War.

Operation Desert Shield began after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, followed by Operation Desert Storm in January 1991. Most U.S. troops involved in the ground war returned home by June 1991.

As a result, a service member who was 20 years old during the Gulf War would now be about 55 or 56, while those who deployed in their late 20s or 30s are now in their 60s or older.

That timing may be significant because Parkinson’s disease typically develops later in life, and researchers have long recognized that environmental exposures may occur years or even decades before characteristic movement problems emerge.

Gulf War Veteran Parkinson’s Disease Lawsuits

In light of these concerns, chlorpyrifos lawyers are now investigating whether veterans diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease may be able to pursue product liability claims involving their exposure during military service.

The investigations are expected to focus on veterans who served in locations where chlorpyrifos was used or stored and subsequently developed Parkinson’s disease or characteristic neurological problems.

Veterans who have developed symptoms of Parkinson’s disease may want to begin looking more closely at where they served, the pesticides used around their deployment areas and whether exposures that occurred more than 35 years ago could have contributed to their current health problems, which may include:

• Tremors
• Slowed movement
• Stiffness
• Balance problems
• Other neurological symptoms

All chlorpyrifos lawsuits are being pursued on a contingency fee basis, with no upfront legal costs. Attorneys only receive payment if compensation is recovered. 

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