Call

Sick from pesticides?

We will investigate whether you or your child is eligible for compensation.

Why this call?

We urge people to contact us who have been exposed to pesticides and have become ill, or suspect that their health complaints are related.

The use of permitted harmful substances remains at the user's risk

Pesticides are used to protect crops from fungi, pests and weeds. They may be used because they are authorized by the government. But what is permitted by law is not automatically harmless. Certainly not to people who are unintentionally exposed to them.

That distinction is important. When a farmer or grower sprays pesticides and the pesticide drifts into a neighbor's yard or home (this is called ‘drift’), that resident can suffer health damage. The long-term effects of that exposure, and certainly of the combination of different pesticides at the same time, are far from known scientifically.

Just because the science is not yet completely certain does not mean that nothing is legally possible. In July 2025 banned the Den Bosch Court of Appeal prohibited a lily grower from using certain pesticides. This shows that civil courts are willing to intervene even when it is not yet completely certain that pesticides cause harm.

Who is responsible?

We are currently investigating whether pesticide users can be held liable for the health damage their use causes to local residents.

Depending on the facts of a case, we investigate who is responsible. This can be the direct user of the resources, but also other parties in the chain.

Every situation is different. The likelihood of a successful case depends on factors such as the nature of the complaints, personal circumstances, length of exposure and distance from the property. That's why we want to hear as many stories as possible to understand how big a problem this really is and which cases are the strongest legally.

Do you recognize this? Report. We review each report individually and let you know what we can do.

Who can report?

We would love to hear from you if you recognize yourself in any of the following situations:

Local residents
You live or lived in the immediate vicinity of an agricultural plot, bulb field, orchard or ornamental farm where pesticides are used, and you are experiencing serious or long-term health complaints. Think cancer, respiratory diseases, neurological complaints or other diagnoses that you associate with the neighborhood where you live or lived. Doubt there is a connection? Apply anyway. We'll make an initial assessment and let you know if we can do anything for you.

Parents of sick children
Does your child have a serious condition, such as leukemia or another form of blood cancer, and lives or lived near sprayed plots or went to school in such an environment? This is exactly the situation we are monitoring closely right now. Please get in touch, even if the diagnosis was some time ago.

Were you pregnant while living near sprayed fields, and did your child have health problems, a low birth weight or was born prematurely? We'd like to know that, too.

Ex-employees in the agricultural sector.
Did you work with or around pesticides for years and then got sick? For former employees, the legal route may look different than for local residents. Get in touch, and together we will look at what applies to your situation, even if you have been out of the industry for some time.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Are there any fees associated with my application?

    No. Signing up is completely optional and free. We are now in an inventory phase: we are mapping how many people are affected and in what circumstances they became ill. You are not tied to anything. If a legal procedure involving costs ever follows, you will be informed well in advance. You then decide for yourself.

  • What happens after I fill out the form?

    Your report arrives at our secretariat and is forwarded to the attorney handling this issue. We will contact you within seven days. We will then tell you what we will do with your report, what you can expect from us and whether there is anything we can do for you.

  • Do you guarantee to take up my case?

    No, and we want to say so honestly. We are investigating which cases are the most likely to succeed legally. We cannot judge that until we have heard enough stories and have the facts. What we do think is important: every report is taken seriously and you always get feedback from us.

  • How likely is it that I will receive compensation?

    We cannot say that at this time. Pesticide exposure cases are legally complex, especially when it comes to proving the link between exposure and disease. But we see opportunities. The courts have already issued rulings in the Netherlands that show there is legal space. What that means for your situation, we will investigate as soon as we receive your report.

  • I don't know exactly what agents were sprayed. Does reporting then make sense?

    Yes. It's understandable that you don't know. That's true for most local residents. For now we are concerned with mapping the sites and the health complaints. At a later stage, we can use legal instruments to bring information about substance use to the surface.

  • How do you handle my personal data?

    Your data is safe with us. We treat everything you enter strictly confidential, according to the AVG (General Data Protection Regulation). Your information is used exclusively to assess your report and to contact you. We do not share your data with third parties for commercial purposes.

    At your request, you can always access, correct or delete your data. You can contact us at info@beeradvocaten.nl.

    More information can be found in our privacy statement.

  • I worked with pesticides as an employee, not as a local resident. Can I report as well?

    Yes. Different legal routes apply to former employees. Your employer has a duty of care beyond what any neighbor is obligated to do. That route is passable before in some cases. Sign up and tell what happened.

  • My child is sick, but I don't know if pesticides are the cause. If so, does reporting make sense?

    Yes. You don't have to be able to prove that yourself. Just sign up and describe what you know. We will assess whether there are enough clues for further investigation.

Application form

Call form pesticides
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Approximately how far did you live from the nearest plot?
Is there an official diagnosis yet?