A Leathal Dose of Pesticides

Helen Zukin

Attorney

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Pesticides are designed to kill. The use of toxic pesticides is on the rise and so are the injuries to human health.

Over the last year, pesticide exposure lawsuits have been on the rise. There are several reasons for this. First, U.S. pesticide use in the proceeding 30 years has increased by 50%. Pesticides are used almost everywhere: on farms, in homes, schools, office buildings, parks and on roads. We are exposed to pesticides in the water we drink, the food we eat and in the air we breathe.

Pesticides are highly toxic chemicals designed and manufactured to kill living things; insects, weeds, rodents and fungus. These toxic substances are known to cause birth defects, nervous system disorders, respiratory illnesses and cancer. Children and the elderly are particularly at risk from the harmful effects of pesticide exposure.

The Environmental Protection Agency has stated:

"Pesticides are not 'safe'. They are produced specifically because they are toxic to something."

The recent U.S. Supreme Court case of Bates v. Dow Agrosciences clearly stated that individuals and property owners have a right to sue for injuries suffered from pesticides. As a result, more and more individuals working with pesticides and those exposed as a result of aerial spraying in their communities, as well as those injured in their homes, offices and schools, are seeking compensation in our courts.