Paraquat Exposure Lawsuits Continue to be Filed

MDL

For years, farmers and agricultural workers have used pesticides to control weed and grass growth that can be detrimental to crops, dry out certain plants, and remove leaves from them before harvesting. But over time, regular pesticide use has caused plants to become resistant, leading to stronger – and in many cases, more toxic and dangerous – pesticides sprayed on crops.

Paraquat dichloride is a prominent example of a highly toxic, yet commonly used pesticide in the U.S. While it’s extremely effective and only sold commercially, the risks of using the pesticide are beginning to emerge. Research into the health effects of pesticides have demonstrated there may be serious dangers of working with paraquat.

In fact, studies have associated paraquat with a higher risk of Parkinson’s disease, among other illnesses. As a result, thousands of lawsuits have been filed against its manufacturers, including Syngenta and Chevron.

The State of Paid Family and Medical Leave in the U.S. in 2023

Work Injury

Today in the United States, workers are not guaranteed a single paid day off by federal law, and many aren’t even entitled to unpaid time. The Center for American Progress presents a series of fact sheets explaining the three major types of laws that give workers rights in relation to workplace leave. This fact sheet addresses paid family and medical leave laws.

Medical leave, which covers a worker’s own serious health condition.
Parental leave, which covers bonding with a new child. Parental leave may also be referred to as maternity leave, paternity leave, or bonding leave.
Caregiving leave, which covers caring for a loved one with a serious health condition.
Deployment-related leave, which covers needs in connection with a loved one’s current or impending active-duty military service, such as making legal or financial

How Many People Die From Car Accidents Each Year?

Auto Accidents

Car accidents are annually responsible for approximately 1.3 million deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In the United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) projects there were an estimated 42,915 traffic fatalities in 2021, a 10.5 percent increase compared to 2020 and the highest annual percentage increase in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System’s history.
Fifty-five percent of motor vehicle deaths were the result of single-vehicle crashes, according to 2020 statistics published by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
The Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT) reports that road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among people aged five to 29. More than half of all road traffic deaths occur among vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, and they are also the single greatest annual cause of death of healthy U.S. citizens traveling abroad.
In addition to devastation from

59-year-old man mauled to death by a pack of dogs

Dog Bites

man in California was mauled to death by a pack of dogs on Sunday, the Selma Police Department said in a press release. When police arrived on scene, an individual was attempting to separate the dogs from the 59-year-old victim.

First aid was administered and the man, who has not been identified, was taken to a hospital, where he died, the department said. The number of dogs involved or type of breed was not specified.

The dogs escaped from a nearby residence and attacked the man while he was walking through the neighborhood, investigators learned. The person who tried to help the man was also bitten by one of the dogs and suffered a minor injury.

The dogs were captured by officers and are being quarantined. The owner of the dogs is cooperating with officials. CBS News has reached out to the Selma Police Department for further information.

In 2020,

Make Timely Complaints About Ageism

Discrimination

Imagine this: work colleagues regularly taunt you about your age. They call you names, laugh at how you walk and ignore your input.

On the one hand, you don’t want to complain because you don’t want to play the victim or make things worse. On the other hand, you wake up every morning feeling anxious about going to work. You’ve noticed how exhausted you feel at the end of the day. And you know how deeply this harassment impacts you mentally, emotionally and physically.

Does this behavior sound ridiculous in today’s workplace? Yes, it does. But sadly, it is real.

Last month, a lawsuit against toymaker Mattel revealed some of the most noxious, blatant behavior, including a barrage of ageist taunts, mocking and harassment.

The question is, what do you do about it?

“When someone experiences harassment or discrimination on the basis of their age, speaking up is difficult in