Parents of deformed child settle with pesticide producer

[seafan]

Source: Miami Herald

A Florida couple whose baby was born without limbs has a settled a lawsuit that accused a Plant City produce company of exposing the mother to dangerous pesticides during her pregnancy.
Terms of the settlement between Ag-Mart Produce and Francisca Herrera and Abraham Candelario, who worked in the company's tomato fields, are confidential. The couple alleges that Ag-Mart use six powerful pesticides that Herrera passed on to her son, Carlos Herrera-Candelario, who is now 3 years old.

''This child ... has tremendous needs that will continue for the rest of his lifetime,'' said Andrew Yaffa, a Coral Gables lawyer who represented the couple. ``The settlement ensures that those needs will be taken care of.''

Leo Bottary, an Ag-Mart spokesman, declined to comment on why Ag-Mart settled. ''Terms of the agreement are confidential and we're going to honor that.'' He said Ag-Mart may comment on the settlement once it has been approved by a judge.
The case was filed in February 2006 and was set to go to trial before a Hillsborough County jury in June, Yaffa said. At the time the suit was filed, Herrera and Candelario lived in Homestead. Yaffa declined to say where the couple lives now, other than that they ''follow the crops'' in Florida.

Ag-Mart markets Santa Sweets grape tomatoes and UglyRipe Tomatoes. Ag-Mart's parent company is Procacci Brothers Sales Corp. of Philadelphia.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking_news/story/468612.html

[merwin]

1. People should stop settling with these assholes.

It's hard to put it in the hands of a jury, but they will keep poisoning us and quietly paying people off who complain loud enough. The only way to stop it is very public trials.

[newburgh]

2. Unfortunately, these victims need to get on with their lives.

They have challenges that a long jury trial may not help in the end. It's a balance between the greater good and their daily needs. This should trigger an investigation- and moratorium- by the DEC and the FDA regarding further use of these poisons when such an action is taken- and either settled or won by even just one defendant. Of course it would be too much to expect them to do their jobs and prevent such things in the first place...