Paraquat Lawsuit

Paraquat Lawsuit Updates

September 3, 2024

There are 5,891 cases in the MDL.

August 1, 2024

The MDL decreased by approximately 2,000 cases in July, ending up with 5,757 as of August 1, 2024.

July 1, 2024

The MDL increased by almost 2,000 cases in June, landing at 7,570 cases as of July 1, 2024.

June 3, 2024

The MDL only increased by 90 cases in May, with 5,680 cases as of June 3, 2024.

May 1, 2024

The MDL increased by about 200 cases, from 5,365 to 5,590 cases.

April 17, 2024

We got bad news for the paraquat MDL today. Judge Rosenstengel dismissed both a key plaintiffs’ witness and four cases that were on the schedule to serve as bellwether trials.

The Court stated that the expert’s opinions were “a textbook example of the standardless presentation of evidence that courts have cautioned against.” It claimed that Dr. Martin Wells’ testimony is “in direct conflict” with much of the scientific community, which claims that “the available evidence does not warrant a claim that paraquat causes Parkinson’s disease.”

April 1, 2024

The MDL only increased by about 50 cases to 5,365 in March.

March 1, 2024

There are 5,318 cases in the MDL.

February 1, 2024

Growth has slowed again in the MDL. Only 26 cases were added in January, ending with 5,077 lawsuits.

January 2, 2024

The MDL dropped to 5,051 lawsuits as of January 2, 2024.

December 15, 2023

The MDL increased by fewer than 100 cases, from 4,986 to 5,072 cases.

November 16, 2023

There are 4,986 cases in MDL 3004.

October 16, 2023

Growth has slowed in the MDL, with only 30 new cases added in September. There are now 4,782 cases in MDL 3004.

September 15, 2023

The MDL has 4,752 cases.

August 15, 2023

MDL 3004 contains 4,554 cases.

July 17, 2023

MDL 3004 contains 4,306 cases.

June 15, 2023

The MDL topped 4,000 cases this month, with 4,083 lawsuits as of June 15th.

May 15, 2023

The MDL increased to 3,730 cases.

April 17, 2023

The MDL increased by around 200 cases, from 2,998 to 3,219.

March 16, 2023

The MDL includes 2,998 lawsuits.

February 16, 2023

The MDL has increased to 2,721 cases.

December 12, 2022

Judge Rosenstengel issued a Case Management Order resetting expert deadlines, dispositive motion deadlines, and trial dates. The four bellwether trials had been scheduled for November 2022, March 13, 2023, June 12, 2023, and September 18, 2023. Judge Rosenstengel vacated the trials.

August 17, 2022

Judge Rosenstengel chose 20 non-bellwether cases for limited discovery.

April 12, 2022

The Court selected six cases to serve as bellwether trials.

June 7, 2021

The existing paraquat cases were consolidated into MDL 3004 IN RE: Paraquat Products Liability Litigation was consolidated in the United States District Court, Southern District of Illinois. The Honorable Nancy J. Rosenstengel will oversee the MDL.

June 1, 2021

Syngenta settled Parkinson’s lawsuits with multiple plaintiffs. The settlement totaled $187.5 million.

Paraquat Lawsuit FAQs

Our team often receives the same questions about paraquat lawsuits. Here are answers to some of those questions.

What Do the Paraquat Lawsuits Allege?

The paraquat lawsuits allege that the defendants knew of scientific studies that linked exposure to paraquat with a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease but chose to keep that from customers.

Who Are the Defendants in the Paraquat Lawsuits?

The defendants in the paraquat cases are:

• Chevron Chemical
• Syngenta

Do I Qualify for a Paraquat Lawsuit?

You may qualify for a paraquat lawsuit if you used, mixed, or applied a paraquat-based herbicide after 1964 for at least eight collective days and were later diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. You might also qualify if you have two or more motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and are currently being treated with Parkinson’s medication.

A paraquat lawsuit lawyer can help determine if you qualify to join the paraquat MDL.

Have Any Paraquat Settlements Been Reached?

Plaintiffs in Illinois state court and Syngenta, plaintiffs reached a $187.5 million settlement in 2021.

However, as of September 2024, there have been no recent settlements. If any other settlements are reached, we will update this page.

Have Any Juries Awarded Paraquat Verdicts?

No. Bellwether trials were scheduled for 2022 and 2023, but they were canceled. Once these bellwether trials occur, we hope that juries will make the right decision and side with the plaintiffs who developed Parkinson’s after using paraquat.

What Is a Bellwether Trial?

A bellwether is essentially a test case. It allows the paraquat plaintiffs’ and defendants’ legal teams to try out their arguments and see how a jury responds. While the jury’s decision does not legally impact the other cases in the MDL, it can prompt decisions. For example:

• The juries in three of the four bellwether cases side with the defense. This may cause the plaintiffs to drop their cases.
• The juries in three of the four bellwether cases side with the plaintiffs and compel the defense to pay millions of dollars in compensatory and punitive damages. The defense may offer a global settlement to prevent going back to court (and possibly losing hundreds of millions).

What Can I Recover in a Paraquat Lawsuit?

What you can recover in a paraquat lawsuit depends on the specifics of your case. Recoverable damages might include:

• Medical bills for both current and future care
• Lost wages
• Lost earning capacity if your Parkinson’s symptoms make it difficult or impossible for you to work in the future
• Miscellaneous expenses, such as traveling costs for treatment and renovating your home or vehicle to accommodate your Parkinson’s symptoms
• Pain and suffering
• Inconvenience
• Emotional distress

If you lost a loved one to Parkinson’s, we know that no amount of money will bring them back. However, a settlement could make making ends meet easier while you grieve and make arrangements. Our law firm partners can file a wrongful death lawsuit on your behalf and fight for compensation for:

• Medical bills
• Funeral costs
• Burial expenses
• Lost support
• Lost services
• Lost income and benefits
• Lost inheritance
• Loss of companionship
• Loss of comfort
• Loss of society
• Loss of guidance and advice
• Loss of consortium
• Pain and suffering
• Sorrow
• Mental anguish
• Emotional distress

Our co-counsel can investigate your case and determine which damages you may be entitled to recover.

What Will a Paraquat Settlement or Award Be Worth?

We won’t know what a paraquat settlement or award might be worth until more settlements are reached. However, we can assume that certain factors may affect a settlement’s worth:

• The severity of your or your loved one’s Parkinson’s
• The extent of your exposure to paraquat
• Your age
• Your profession
• Your specific losses and expenses

We can also look into settlements awarded in similar cases. For example, Roundup settlements ranged from thousands to millions of dollars. Roundup settlements also relied on a points system, which assigned plaintiffs to a specific tier depending on certain factors. The Roundup points system considered the following factors:

• The degree of the plaintiff’s (or their deceased loved one’s) cancer
• The stage of the cancer
• How long you need treatment
• The degree of your paraquat exposure (e.g., using paraquat for 10 days over your lifetime vs. 50 days)
• The type of your paraquat exposure

The Court could use a similar points system if the paraquat MDL reaches a global settlement.

How Long Do I Have to File a Paraquat Lawsuit?

Depending on where you live, you may have as little as one year or as long as six to file a paraquat lawsuit. Exceptions may apply, but you don’t want to rely on them. We recommend contacting our team as soon as possible so your paraquat lawyer can start protecting your rights.

What Is the Paraquat MDL?

MDL 3004 IN RE: Paraquat Products Liability Litigation was consolidated in the United States District Court, Southern District of Illinois, on June 7, 2021. The MDL is overseen by the Honorable Nancy J. Rosenstengel.

There is also an MDL in Philadelphia, overseen by Judge Joshua Roberts.

What Can a Paraquat Lawsuit Lawyer Do for You?

A paraquat lawsuit lawyer can manage every aspect of your case. This could include:

• Determining whether you qualify to join the MDL
• Gathering evidence to establish your eligibility
• Building your case
• Managing paperwork
• Communicating with all involved parties
• Negotiating for a fair settlement
• Managing deadlines
• Preparing your case for court
• Representing you at trial

Paraquat Updates

July 2021

The EPA completed the Paraquat Dichloride Interim Registration Review Decision and reapproved paraquat for use.

2019-2020

Several countries, including Thailand, Brazil, Chile, Malaysia, Peru, China, and Taiwan, banned or in some way prohibited use or paraquat.

2007

The European Union and UK banned paraquat.

1964

Paraquat was first registered in 1964.

1961

Paraquat was commercially produced for the first time in 1961.

Paraquat FAQs

What Is Paraquat?

Paraquat dichloride is the active ingredient in Gramoxone, a commonly used weedkiller in the United States. Paraquat is highly toxic. One sip can kill someone, and there is no antidote.

Inhaling can also cause serious problems. For this reason, the EPA restricted its use to certified trained applicators.

What Dangers Does Paraquat Pose?

Inhalation of paraquat can be toxic and cause severely detrimental effects. Those who inhale paraquat may suffer from pulmonary toxicity.

Has Science Linked Paraquat and Parkinson’s Disease?

Several studies have linked paraquat and Parkinson’s Disease. Some of these studies include:

• Environment international: According to a 2022 article published in Environmental international, paraquat alters a person’s lipid profile and causes neuroinflammation in the midbrain, which can lead to Parkinsonism.
• International Journal of Epidemiology: Researchers from the University of California- Los Angeles (UCLA) found “further indication that paraquat dichloride exposure increases the risk of Parkinson’s disease.”
• Environmental Health Perspectives: This study suggests that the use of paraquat can increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease.

What Parties Are Most At-Risk for Paraquat Exposure?

According to the EPA, paraquat is a “restricted use pesticide” (RUP). RUPs cannot be used by homeowners and can only be used by trained, certified applicators. This means certified applicators are currently the most at-risk.

However, farm workers and others have been exposed to paraquat for decades. If you were exposed to paraquat exposure at any point, you can call our team to see if you qualify to join the MDL.

Has Paraquat Been Recalled?

No. While the EPA designated paraquat an RUP, it has not banned its use, and neither company has recalled its products.

According to Reuters, paraquat has been banned in over 30 countries.

What Are the Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease?

According to the Mayo Clinic, the symptoms of Parkinson’s are often very subtle at first. They start with small tremors in one hand, foot, or jaw.

As your Parkinson’s disease progresses, there are several symptoms you may notice:

• Stiffness
• Slower movements called bradykinesia (e.g., you may be unable to shower, get dressed, or get out of bed)
• Balance issues
• Little to no expression on your face
• Stiff arms as you walk
• Short and jerky arm movements
• Slurred or softer speech
• Worsened tremors
• An inability to make automatic movements (i.e., you may be unable to blink, smile, or swing your arms while walking without thinking)
• Changes to your writing/trouble writing
• Depression, anxiety, constipation, and sleep issues
• A need to urinate more often
• Memory problems
• Fatigue

Is Parkinson’s Disease Curable?

Currently, there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease. However, there are treatment options. According to the Cleveland Clinic, there are two categories of treatment: direct or symptom treatments. Direct treatments manage Parkinson’s itself, while symptom treatment only targets the effects.

The two common treatments include:

• Medications: Medications are the most common treatment for Parkinson’s disease. This could involve adding dopamine, stimulating dopamine, dopamine metabolism blockers, dopamine metabolism blockers, and adenosine blockers.
• Deep-brain stimulation: Doctors may implant a device that sends an electrical current to the part(s) of the brain affected by Parkinson’s.

There are also other experimental treatments your doctor may recommend.

What Are the Symptoms and Effects of Paraquat Exposure?

The symptoms depend on your route of ingestion and how much you ingested.

If you ingest paraquat, you may experience mouth and throat pain, mouth and throat swelling, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, and (possibly bloody) diarrhea. In the following days or weeks, you could experience lung scarring, heart failure, kidney failure, and liver failure.

If you ingested a large amount of paraquat, you could experience:

• Confusion
• Faster heart rate
• Muscle weakness
• Injury to your heart
• Acute kidney failure
• Lung scarring
• Fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema)
• Liver failure
• Respiratory failure
• Seizures
• Coma
• Death

Parkinson’s has also been linked to paraquat exposure.

How Can You Protect Yourself from Paraquat Ingestion?

There are a few things you can do to protect yourself from ingesting paraquat:

• Wear gloves, long sleeves, long pants, and high socks.
• Always wear a mask.
• If you spilled paraquat on yourself:
  • Remove any clothing that was contaminated with paraquat. If you need to pull any clothing over your head, you should cut it off instead.
  • Place any soiled clothing in a sealable plastic bag. Do not touch the clothing with your bare hands. Use rubber gloves, tongs, or a stick. Place anything that came in contact with the paraquat into the same bag. Place that bag inside another sealable plastic bag. When the health department or EMTs arrive, explain what happened and tell them what you did with the contaminated clothing. They will dispose of it. Do not do so yourself.
  • Wash yourself immediately with a lot of soap and water. If you wear glasses, wash them with soap and water as well before putting them back on.
  • DO NOT touch the paraquat-contaminated clothing or objects with your bare hands. If you do, you must wash your hands thoroughly again.
  • If you believe you ingested paraquat, call Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222. They will advise you of your next steps, which may include going to an emergency room.

Hi, I’m injury attorney Bob Goldwater. I’m here to help.

My name is Bob Goldwater, the founder of The Goldwater Law Firm. I’m dedicated to helping injured and ill people nationwide and holding corporations accountable for their wrongdoings. My team and I will not stand by while big companies exploit the people who buy their products. It’s not fair, and we won’t put up with it. Our law firm partners will fight for justice and the compensation you need to manage your new normal.

You didn’t ask for this to happen to you, but you can ask us for help. We’re here to give it.