If your child or baby suffered from a birth defect or other injury (such as low birth weight, impaired brain development, decreased IQ, or impaired motor skills) after being exposed to Dacthal DCPA in utero during pregnancy, you may be entitled to recover compensation from a Dacthal lawsuit case or settlement claim.
A team of products liability injury lawyers and class action attorneys is investigating potential Dacthal lawsuit cases and settlement claims involving children who have suffered from birth defects and other birth injuries after being exposed to the herbicide Dacthal (DCPA).
Dacthal (a/k/a DCPA, dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate or chlorthal-dimethyl) is a benzoic acid herbicide or pesticide that inhibits cell division of root tips in target plants and controls annual grasses and broadleaf weeds before they emerge in a variety of agricultural crops.
Unfortunately, on August 6, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), issued an emergency order suspending all uses of pesticide products that contain the active ingredient dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA), including Dacthal. According to the EPA, “babies whose pregnant mothers are exposed to DCPA, sometimes without even knowing the exposure has occurred, could experience changes to fetal thyroid hormone levels, and these changes are generally linked to low birth weight, impaired brain development, decreased IQ, and impaired motor skills later in life, some of which may be irreversible.”
Dacthal DCPA Lawsuit & Settlement Claims
Dacthal DCPA lawsuit and settlement cases potentially being investigated include claims involving children and others who were diagnosed with or suffered from birth defects and other birth injury or complications after being exposed to Dacthal (DCPA) during pregnancy, including:
- Dacthal (DCPA)
- Dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate
- Dacthal Flowable Herbicide
- Dacthal W-75 Herbicide
- Technical Chlorthal Dimethyl
- Other Dacthal lawsuit cases
According to the EPA, individuals who used DCPA products, worked in areas or fields treated with DCPA, or who were present near areas where DCPA was being used can be exposed to DCPA at levels greater than the level at which no adverse effects were observed in certain studies. In fact, the EPA estimates that some pregnant women could have been subjected to exposures from four to 20 times greater than what current DCPA product label use instructions indicate is considered safe.
Dacthal lawsuits may allege that defendants knew or should have known that exposure to DCPA by pregnant women may might result in permanent injury to children and that they did not provide adequate warnings. Defendants in the Dacthal lawsuits may include producers and/or distributors of the pesticide, such as AMVAC Chemical Corp.
Dacthal Birth Defect Injury Cases
Dacthal birth defect lawsuit claims potentially being investigated include claims of individuals who, after being exposed in utero to Dacthal DCPA herbicide and pesticide products, were diagnosed with or have suffered from birth defects and other complications including, among others:
- Birth defects
- Birth injury
- Developmental delays
- Impaired brain development
- Low birth weight
- Decreased Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
- Fetal thyroid hormone level changes
- Impaired motor skills
- Decreased bone deposition
- Thyroid hormone perturbation
- Thyroid dysfunction
- Other cognitive disability
- Other Dacthal birth defect or injury
According to the EPA, pregnant women exposed to DCPA could experience changes to fetal thyroid hormone levels, resulting in potential fetal harm, fetal thyroid damage and unnatural hormonal changes in developing fetuses and potentially permanent injury to an unborn child.
DCPA Pesticide/Herbicide Exposure Claims
Pregnant women who may have been exposed to Dacthal DCPA herbicide include those who came into contact with Dacthal (DCPA) at work (occupational exposure), at home (residential exposure) or at recreational events (recreational exposure).
Pregnant women who handled or applied Dacthal or DCPA-containing products as part of their job are believed to be at the highest risk of DCPA exposure, including, for example:
- Farmers and farm workers
- Agricultural workers
- Crop field workers
- Sod farmers
- Herbicide or pesticide applicators
- Weed sprayers
- Chemical and herbicide mixers
- Herbicide cleaners
- Herbicide transporters
- Landscapers
- Gardeners
- Landscapers
- Plant caretakers
- Groundskeepers
- Nursery employees
- Garden center workers
- Horticulture workers
- Field inspectors
- Women who used or applied Dacthal
- Women who handled Dacthal
- Other women who were exposed to Dacthal at work
Pregnant women who lived near agricultural fields, such as on farms, in nurseries, in residential landscaping areas or areas where Dacthal was used may also have been exposed to DCPA through drift during spraying, or through contaminated soil, water or food.
Finally, pregnant women who used public recreational spaces such as golf courses, parks, or sports/athletic fields where DCPA has been applied may also have been exposed to DCPA.
Dacthal Use on Crops and Other Grasses
Dacthal DCPA has been used by farmers on fruits and vegetables, including:
- Broccoli
- Onions
- Cabbage
- Brussels sprouts
- Broccoli raab
- Bok choy
- Radishes
- Chinese cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Kale
- Taro
- Arrowroot
- Strawberries
- Melons
- Watermelon
- Cantaloupe
- Honeydew
- Sweet potatoes
- Tomatoes and tomatillos
- Eggplant
- Kale
- Collard greens
- Mustard greens
- Turnips
- Kohlrabi
- Mizuna
- Ornamental plants
- Other crops and farmland
According to the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Pesticide National Synthesis Project, it is estimated that farmers in the U.S. have used millions of pounds of Dacthal throughout the years.
Dacthal has also been used on turf grasses in lawns, athletic fields and golf courses.
Time Is Limited To File A Dacthal DCPA Lawsuit
Deadlines called statutes of limitation and statutes of repose may limit the amount of time that individuals have to file a Dacthal DCPA lawsuit to try to recover compensation for injuries they claim to have suffered (i.e., birth defects and birth injuries) after being exposed to Dacthal DCPA.
This means that if a Dacthal DCPA lawsuit claim is not filed before the applicable time limit or deadline, the claimant may be barred from ever taking legal action or pursuing litigation regarding their Dacthal injury claim. That is why it is important to connect with a Dacthal injury lawyer or attorney as soon as possible.
If your child or baby suffered from low birth weight, impaired brain development, decreased IQ, impaired motor skills or other birth defect or injury after being exposed to Dacthal DCPA herbicide/pesticide while you were pregnant, you may be entitled to compensation from a Dacthal lawsuit or settlement. Contact an injury lawyer to request a free case review.
*If your child or baby is experiencing health issues or complications (i.e., birth defects, developmental delays, etc.) from a product, we urge you to promptly consult with your doctor or physician for an evaluation.
**The listing of a company (i.e., AMVAC Chemical Corp.) or product (i.e., Dacthal, DCPA, etc.) is not meant to state or imply that the company acted illegally or improperly or that the product is unsafe or defective; rather only that an investigation may be, is or was being conducted to determine whether legal rights have been violated.
***The use of any trademarks, tradenames or service marks is solely for product identification and/or informational purposes.
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