Alba Luz Calderon de Cerda, Rafael Cerda Martinez v. Corteva

Reference :

20C-0250

Complaint date :

September 16, 2020

Status :

Not judged

Place of jurisdiction :

United States

Plaintiffs types :

Farm/rural workers

Plaintiffs names :

Alba Luz Calderon de Cerda, Rafael Cerda Martinez

Defendants :

Corteva, Dow Chemical, City of Avenal, John A. Kochergen Properties, City of Huron, Woolf Farming Co, Cottonwest, LLC, Applicator ID 1020351

Lawyers for Health and Environmental Justice :

Patricia N. Syverson, Van Bunch, W. Stuart Calwell, L. Danté diTrapano, Alexander D. McLaughlin, D. Christopher Hedges

Case nature :

Civil court

Specificities :

Jury

Type(s), Product(s), Active substance(s) :

Chlorpyrifos, , Organophosphate

Requests :

Punitive and compensatory damages for pain and suffering, loss of wages, medical expenses, and parental anguish.

Name of the Court :

California Superior Court for Kings County, United States

Jurisdiction level :

Summary :

Parents say their son Rafael was exposed to chlorpyrifos in the uterus and as infant, through contaminated drinking water, from exposed air, and by tainted dust in her home. Plaintiffs sue Dow Chemical Co., Corteva, 2 California town, and 3 pesticide application companies, claiming that exposure to the powerful insecticide chlorpyrifos led to his significant health problems (attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, and mental retardation).

Scientific references :

Abiotic transformation of chlorpyrifos to chlorpyrifos oxon in chlorinated water