Paraquat Lawyer & Class Action Representation

The chemical herbicide paraquat, or paraquat dichloride, is a toxic herbicide. Common use dates back to the 1960s. Its use is to prevent weed and grass takeover of crops by farmers throughout the world.

More recently, more than 30 countries banned the herbicide. The United States restricted its use to licensed applicators. It remains on the market, though.

Researchers have linked paraquat to many adverse health effects. These include a progressive neurodegenerative disorder known as Parkinson’s disease.

The herbicide is toxic. A small amount of paraquat can be fatal. Even if this is not the immediate result, the health impacts on the victim can be tremendous.

According to the CDC, even light paraquat exposure can cause significant damage. Many adverse health effects can also occur. This includes developing Parkinson’s disease, kidney failure, and other conditions, such as:

• Heart failure
• Kidney disease
• Liver failure
• Lung scarring
• Coma
• Seizures
• Injury to the heart
• Pulmonary edema
• Respiratory failure

A July 2022 study linked paraquat exposure with thyroid cancer.

NatLawReview.com mentions continual exposure to minimal amounts of paraquat. It says this can increase one’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson's disease is a progressive condition, and there is no cure. Those diagnosed with the disease often manage it with medication and other treatments. It often contributes to early death, though.

The toxic effects are also worrying. People die from ingesting the herbicide every year in the United States. Paraquat purchased in the United States has additive safeguards to prevent accidental consumption. Products purchased elsewhere might appear clear and odorless. This makes them almost impossible to recognize.

Anyone could mix it with food or water without detection because of this. Paraquat poisoning can also occur from skin exposure, especially from an open wound. Inhalation and absorption through the skin are other methods of paraquat exposure. These are the ones most likely when exposure leads to Parkinson’s disease symptoms.

The danger of the chemical herbicide paraquat is far-reaching. The EPA classifies paraquat as a “restricted use” product. This means that it can only those licensed to apply the chemical can use it.

Most restricted use products allow others to apply the products. They can do so when supervised by a licensed applicator. Environmental Protection Agency limits paraquat use to only those certified to apply it.

The EPA restricts paraquat use because of its extreme toxicity. It also restricts it because of its natural tasteless, odorless and clear characteristics. Drinking a thimble to a shot glass of the chemical can take a human life.

Many suicides and suicide attempts include the use of paraquat. At this point, there is no known antidote.

The United States requires paraquat additives. This ensures users can see, smell and taste the chemical. Special packaging is also required. Large warnings about putting the herbicide in other containers are also required.

These rules hope to prevent accidental ingestion of paraquat.

Several factors determine the level of danger to a person exposed to paraquat. including:

• Quantity of exposure
• Method of exposure (ingestion is most likely and most dangerous)
• Duration of exposure

Ingestion of paraquat causes significant damage in several ways. Paraquat may meet the lining of the mouth, stomach, or intestines. Direct damage will likely occur when this happens. Once inside, it reaches other parts of the body. This causes damage to the lungs, liver, and kidneys.

Paraquat is notorious for its link to various health conditions. These include Parkinson’s disease. This tie to Parkinson’s disease is the basis for the paraquat lawsuits.

Pesticides and herbicides may play a role in developing Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder. Among others, paraquat is one such herbicide researchers link to Parkinson's disease.

Research continues into how much exposure could trigger Parkinson’s disease symptoms. The research investigates how the exposure generally occurs. The research investigates how long it takes before the disorder develops.

Researchers may also uncover more links to other pesticides and herbicides. The strongest known links are the ones supporting the paraquat lawsuits.

Paraquat is a restricted-use herbicide. It is a fast-acting weed killer. It is one of the most popular herbicides used on farms. It is also used in other large-scale agricultural applications. Gramoxone SL 2.0 Herbicide contains paraquat. It is the most common herbicide in the United States.

Some of the other paraquat pesticide products are:

• Quick-Quat
• Parazone
• Helmquat 3SL
• Para-Shot 3.0
• Firestorm
• Cyclone SL 2.0
• Dexuron
• Crisquat
• Devour
• Para-col
• Blanco
• Bonedry
• Esgram
• Dexuron
• Tota-col
• Ortho Paraquat CL
• Garmixel
• PP148
• Bai Cao Ku
• AH 501
• Pillarxone

Makers of many of these herbicides are facing lawsuits. The lawsuits cover the connection between toxic paraquat products and Parkinson’s disease.

You may be experiencing Parkinson's disease symptoms. You may have suffered from paraquat exposure. If so, you must meet with your physician at once. Ingesting a small amount of paraquat can be fatal, and it only takes minutes or hours for death to occur.

Low-level exposure may be enough to cause significant adverse health conditions. Exposure and ingestion of this substance can lead to long-term health issues. It can put you at a greater risk of Parkinson’s disease.

Immediate signs of serious exposure include:

• Swelling and pain in the mouth or throat
• Confusion
• Dehydration
• Seizures
• Muscle fatigue or weakness
• Breathing difficulties or respiratory failure

These symptoms may occur while applying paraquat. They may occur while working in an area where paraquat was recently applied. If so, these symptoms warrant an emergency department visit.

Symptoms of low-level exposure affecting your body could include:

• Tremors or shaking at rest
• Muscle stiffness
• Slow movement
• Sleep interruptions
• Constipation
• Issues with bladder control
• Smaller handwriting
• Lost sense of smell
• Depression and anxiety
• Fatigue

Court documents which were recently filed state that a settlement agreement was reached between parties in the paraquat MDL. The agreement might resolve thousands of lawsuits which allege that the weedkiller caused people to develop Parkinson's disease.

April 2024 saw the first batch of bellwether lawsuits in the MDL get dismissed after some of the plaintifss' expert witness testimony was excluded. That dismissal is being appealed.

However, on April 14, a joint motion was filed which asked for the appeal to get held in abeyance since a paraquat settlement will likely be announced in the near future.

No details regarding the agreement have been released, such as the total size of the settlement, the average size of each payout, or how many cases are impacted.

The settlement involves cases in the federal MDL and not cases in state courts such as courts in Pennsylvania and California.

There are over 5,800 lawsuits which have been filed against manufacturers of paraquat and consolidated in Illinois. There is also significant litigation unfolding in state courts, especially Pennsylvania and California.

Upcoming Trials

Trial dates are set for June 2, August 4 and October 6, 2025 in Philadelphia. The first federal trial is set for October 14, 2025. The trials are vital opportunities for parties to present evidence, theories and arguments before judges and juries. The trials will provide valuable insight into the way similar cases might be adjudicated in the future. The trials' outcomes may also play significant roles in shaping possible settlements in the future.

Plaintiffs Should Gather Evidence

For plaintiffs to bolster their claims, it's vital to collect comprehensive evidence of paraquat exposure. This could include:

• Locating those with firsthand knowledge that you used paraquat.
• Collecting relevant employment or business records, pictures of spraying equipment or paraquat, and gathering receipts.
• Making sure your lawyer has up-to-date records of treatment of Parkinson's disease.

A new lawsuit filed by an Ohio resident alleges that paraquat led to her developing Parkinson's disease after she was exposed to it for a prolonged period of time. The case is seeking damages from Syngenta for the woman's pain, suffering and permanent physical injuries, citing the causes of action of failure to warn, strict liability and negligence.

21 cases were added to the paraquat MDL in February, bringing the total number of pending cases up to 5,859.

An appeals court is currently weighing if it should reinstate a total of four lawsuits which had been set to be the initial bellwether trials in the paraquat MDL prior to being dismissed by a federal judge last year following expert witnesses being barred from providing testimony.

The plaintiffs in those cases have filed an appeal seeking to see their cases get reinstated. The plaintiffs have argued that their expert witnesses had been held to a standard which was too high, that the decision didn't come at the right time during the litigation, and argued that criticism of the testimony didn't fall inside court precedents.

Lawyers argued that a jury should have decided upon the sufficiency or reliability of expert witness testimony.

The judge overseeing the paraquat MDL has ordered plaintiffs and defendants to prepare a total of six cases for possible bellwether trials. It has been indicated that the initial two claims will see juries on the dates of October 14, 2025 and April 6, 2026.

In a January 23 court order, the judge announced that plaintiffs and defendants will continue with case-specific discovery on six bellwether lawsuits, and will later choose two claims which will be tried in front of juries.

Three lawsuits have been identified as candidates for the October 14, 2025 trial and three lawsuits have been identified as candidates for the April 6, 2026 trial.

Deadlines were also issued by the judge regarding the initial two bellwether trials. The first trial will see Daubert briefings and summary judgment due by August 15, 2025. A hearing date regarding oral arguments regarding summary judgment as well as Daubert motions will be set by a future court order.

September saw the paraquat MDL decrease in size to 5,883 cases. The reason for this is an increase in lawsuits being filed in state courts, especially Philadelphia.

Following the evidence growing that paraquat exposure is associated with Parkinson's disease, Australian health advocates are calling on their country to ban paraquat.

The herbicide has been used widely in many countries for decades. However, almost 70 countries have banned its use due to health risks.

Manufacturers of the herbicide are currently facing thousands of lawsuits alleging that those exposed to it have developed Parkinson's disease. The lawsuits allege that the manufacturers failed to warn about the herbicide's side effects.

Parkinson's Australia, last week, issued a press release calling for paraquat to be banned in their country. The group has called for Australians to sign a petition to ban the herbicide in Australia. The group suggests that Australians contact parliament members, as well as dispose of the herbicide at authorized locations.

A motion was filed by Syngenta in Philadelphia which argued that most lawsuits filed in the city weren't filed by Pennsylvania residents and that this means they shouldn't be allowed to file in the state.

The motion revolved around a statute which states that when companies register for business in the state, they can be sued in the state by those who don't live in the state. The company argued the law may be unconstitutional.

This argument ignored the Supreme Court recently saying otherwise, so Pennsylvania's Supreme Court ended up rejecting the argument.

August saw 50 cases added to the paraquat MDL. The MDL now has almost 6,000 pending cases in it.

In other news, an August ruling by the 3^rd Circuit in a Roundup case found that some state law claims may be precluded by federal law when a federal agency like the EPA establishes guidelines that cover related issues. The ruling strengthened arguments that if products’ safety warnings or labeling are in compliance with federal regulations, federal rules may end up shielding pesticide makers from liability in terms of state law.

As to how this applies to paraquat litigation, it might possibly limit the claims which can be pursued by plaintiffs. Specifically, it may prevent plaintiffs from pursing failure to warn claims. If the Third Circuit’s reasoning is applied by courts – and we do not think it will be – paraquat defendants will end up arguing that federal regulations which govern herbicide safety and labeling preempt claims under state law which challenge these warnings’ sufficiency.

Paraquat litigation would not be killed by this. Plaintiffs would still be able to file claims for inadequate testing, manufacturing defects or defective design, and these claims might not be preempted by federal law as easily. However, failure to warn claims are significant in paraquat litigation.

We believe that consensus exists that this opinion is an isolated one which is in contradiction with recent and longtime precedent by the Supreme Court. However, this development may impact paraquat settlement negotiations. If it is believed by the defendants that they have a chance regarding preemption, they may take advantage of this and push for smaller settlements.

Lawmakers in California approved a bill which may help to strengthen regulations upon usage of paraquat, a popular herbicide associated with health issues such as Parkinson's disease.

January saw Assemblymember Laura Friedman introduce AB 1963 - the bill originally looked to end paraquat's use in the state starting in January of 2026.

The bill, however, has been amended to require California's Department of Pesticide Regulation to completely reevaluate paraquat by the date of January 1, 2029, when it will determine if the herbicide's registration should be suspended, canceled or retained, or if new restrictions should be created.

The bill was passed by the Senate with a count of 23 to 8. It now awaits Gov. Gavin Newsom's signature.

The herbicide is banned by over 60 countries. A growing body of scientific research links the herbicide to Parkinson's disease. Thousands of lawsuits allege the herbicide has caused people to develop the devastating neurodegenerative disease, for which there is no cure.

The legislative analysis of the bill notes that paraquat has been linked with the disease by a minimum of 10 epidemiological studies. A meta-analysis done in 2019 regarding 13 studies found that paraquat exposure is associated with risk of developing the disease which is increased by 1.64 times.

A new study has found that paraquat exposure leads to a protein building up in the brain - this protein has been linked with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Lewy body disease.

The researchers tested exposing human neuroblastoma cell lines to paraquat and found that α-synuclein builds up upon the exposure, and that the brain isn't able to get rid of this protein efficiently. The researchers noted that this also appears to occur in brains when people suffer neurodegenerative diseases.

The researchers noted that Parkinson's disease has been associated with paraquat by rodent experiments and epidemiological studies, and that while this particular effect has already been observed in mouse models, the effect being noted when using human cell lines appears to strengthen the argument that neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease can be caused in humans by paraquat exposure.

Over 8,000 lawsuits are currently pending in courts around the country alleging that people developed Parkinson's disease due to exposure to the herbicide paraquat.

A group of 10 bellwether trials has been selected by the judge overseeing the paraquat MDL. The cases will go through preparations and discovery.

The selection of cases comes after an initial group of four bellwether trials was dismissed earlier in the year. The cases were dismissed after an expert witness was excluded from testifying during trial. After the dismissal, the judge expressed an intention to quickly identify new cases and set a tight schedule regarding trial and limited discovery in order to determine if other experts will offer testimony regarding causation which is reliable.

Parties will be given until August 20 for voluntary dismissal of any cases, allowing time for a replacement claim to be selected. Following confirmation of the final group, plaintiffs will be given until September 3 in order to give defendants a completed fact sheet, and depositions will occur by November 25. Parties have until December 16 to submit one-page summaries regarding each case.

The cases selected include claims regarding serious health consequences being caused by paraquat. It is thought that these cases rely upon different expert witnesses than the claims which were previously dismissed, and utilize different methods in order to establish a link between Parkinson's disease and paraquat.

A federal judge has recently denied a subpoena where paraquat plaintiffs looked to obtain discovery from Texas state agencies including the state's Department of Agriculture. It was ruled by the judge that the agencies are protected by "sovereign immunity," preventing third-party discovery from state officials and agencies.

In other news, a lawsuit filed in the paraquat MDL on July 24 alleges that a Pennsylvania farmer developed Parkinson's disease due to exposure to paraquat. The farmer was exposed to the herbicide from 1976 through 1996, and the lawsuit is seeking punitive and compensatory damages for injuries, including compensation for pain, suffering and medical bills.

The first paraquat lawsuit which is set for a trial is set for April 2025 in state court in Philadelphia.

We believe this case will be settled before reaching trial, and that over half of lawsuits which are pending in Pennsylvania will end up settling long before April 2025, as we believe Syngenta and Chevron are far too smart to allow these lawsuits to reach trial.

June saw 90 new cases added to the paraquat MDL, bringing the total number of cases to 5,770.

A new study has found that an AI blood test can detect Parkinson's disease by as much as seven years before the development of symptoms.

The study involved 72 patients diagnosed with rapid eye movement behavior disorder. The condition is linked with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers utilized machine learning in order to analyze the patients' blood samples and found that 79 percent of the patients had biomarkers of Parkinson's disease.

In the next 10 years, 16 patients in the group ended up being diagnosed with PD.

The study's co-author stated that PD patients can possibly be identified many years in advance by determining eight blood proteins, meaning drug therapies might be given earlier, possibly slowing the progression of the disease or preventing the disease from developing.

Thousands of lawsuits have alleged that exposure to the herbicide paraquat has caused people to develop PD. Perhaps those who have been exposed to paraquat can, in the future, benefit from the results of this study and identify their PD before they develop symptoms, possibly allowing them to treat the disease before symptoms develop.

A surge of almost 50 percent has been seen in the last half a year regarding how many cases there are in Philadelphia concerning paraquat. The number of cases has risen from about 500 at 2024's start to 728.

Two reasons exist for this increase. First, regarding lawsuits over eye injuries involving Elmiron, the prevailing wisdom which emerged from that litigation is that cases which were filed in the City of Philadelphia ended up faring better than cases which were filed in the multidistrict litigation.

Second is that paraquat attorneys are somewhat spooked by the ruling by Judge Rosenstengel dismissing an important expert for the plaintiffs and dismissing four bellwether trials, which has led to a panic regarding the scheduling of trials. Many attorneys in the paraquat litigation also took part in the Zantac multidistrict litigation. The Zantac MDL taught lawyers that when concern exists about a judge dismissing lawsuits before trial is reached, state court might be a better idea.

The number of lawsuits regarding paraquat being filed has slowed as of late. However, the lawsuits will continue to be filed since a long period of latency exists between exposure to paraquat and Parkinson's disease developing. This latency period may span decades and is influenced by cumulative effects of genetic susceptibility, biological aging, oxidative stress, and delayed recognition of symptoms.

A lawsuit filed on Thursday by a Wisconsin man alleges the man got exposed to the herbicide in Wisconsin while spraying farms from 1990 through 1995, and that this exposure led to the man developing Parkinson's disease. His exposure allegedly happened through spraying and mixing paraquat on numerous farms, in addition to through contacting sprayed plants as well as spray drift.

The lawsuit alleges the plaintiff didn't become aware of the link between Parkinson's and paraquat until he witnessed a lawyer's advertisement about it in 2021.

90 cases were added to the paraquat MDL in May, bringing the total number of cases to 5,680.

A lawsuit has been filed by a Texas man which alleges he developed Parkinson's disease because he was exposed to paraquat.

The lawsuit claims the man was exposed to the herbicide from 1983 through 1990 in California while paraquat was applied, loaded and mixed through contacting sprayed plants and through spray drift. The lawsuit alleges paraquat entered the man's body via ingestion, inhalation and skin absorption.

The man claims he received a Parkinson's diagnosis in May 2022.

A lawsuit filed on May 3 claims that a farm worker developed Parkinson's disease after experiencing prolonged exposure to the herbicide paraquat. The plaintiff claims to have worked on a farm in California between the years of 1973 and 1983, claiming to have repeatedly gone through exposure to paraquat through absorption, ingestion and inhalation.

The plaintiff allegedly started experiencing symptoms of Parkinson's disease, receiving a diagnosis in 2019.

225 cases got added to the paraquat Parkinson's disease MDL in the month of April, bring the total number of pending cases to 5,590.

The judge overseeing the paraquat MDL has dismissed the four bellwether cases. The judge excluded testimony from Dr. Martin Wells, the plaintiffs' key expert regarding general causation.

The four bellwether cases were killed because the plaintiffs couldn't establish a causal link needed for their paraquat claims without the testimony. The court granted summary judgment for defendants in the cases, concluding the plaintiffs' claims weren't tenable without testimony from the expert.

This does not mean that the paraquat litigation is over. This simply means that lawyers for the plaintiffs have to get better experts. The court is going to quickly select a new group of bellwether cases for trial. The parties involved have been directed by the judge to choose 16 cases to undergo limited fact discovery. The plaintiffs will choose eight of these cases, whereas Syngenta and Chevron will each choose four.

While this development is depressing for the four plaintiffs in the bellwether cases, and all they can do now is appeal the decision, the paraquat litigation will continue and attorneys for the plaintiffs will likely develop superior experts in order to support what appears to be very strong science which links paraquat with Parkinson's disease.

A new bill in California, AB-1963, seeks to prohibit the use, offering for sale, holding, delivery, sale and manufacturing of any products containing paraquat.

The bill, if passed, would go into effect in January 2026.

Assembly member Laura Friedman, who introduced the bill, noted that paraquat is already banned in over 60 countries such as Brazil, China, the United Kingdom, and European Union members.

Friedman noted that California is the top paraquat user in the nation - millions of pounds of it are sprayed in the state every year.

47 cases were added to the paraquat MDL in March.

A lawsuit was filed on March 18 alleging that a 53-year-old Colorado man developed Parkinson's disease, which he was diagnosed with around 2022, because he was exposed to paraquat from 1996 through 1999 while applying paraquat as part of his work.

The lawsuit alleges the plaintiffs directly contacted paraquat through numerous methods such as inhaling, absorbing, touching or involuntarily ingesting it while handling, spraying, loading, mixing or interacting with paraquat otherwise.

The lawsuit alleges that extended exposure to paraquat started a long-term process in his brain involving oxidative stress, which was amplified by redox cycling by paraquat, killing off his brain's dopaminergic neurons.

Also, there's been significant talk in the media and in litigation lately about the large number of badly vetted lawsuits which the MDL has seen filed. This story does not reflect well upon some paraquat attorneys, but it doesn't reflect badly on the merits of the MDL. The MDL process is working as intended. The judge is proactively taking steps to dismiss lawsuits which shouldn't have ever been filed in the first place.

This is a positive for plaintiffs who have viable claims. It's not in your best interest to be grouped with weaker cases if your case is strong. It's in your best interest to be in strong docket containing a lesser number of lawsuits over paraquat.

Parties in the paraquat litigation are still waiting on Jose Rosenstengel's Daubert ruling. In the mean time, the first trials, which were originally scheduled for fall 2023, are on hold, and rescheduled dates have not been announced.

The judge has, on multiple occasions, expressed concerns about how many cases have liability theories which are seemingly unlikely. It seems as if the judge doesn't appear fond of "drifter" cases involving indirect exposure to paraquat.

In February, the judge ordered plaintiffs to issue subpoenas by March 11, subpoenas for gathering documents which serve as evidence of exposure to or use of paraquat.

It's difficult to imagine any scenario where Judge Rosenstengel would dismiss every paraquat case with her Daubert ruling. However, the court clearly wishes the docket to be filled with only viable claims.

241 cases were added to the paraquat MDL in February, bring the amount of total cases to 5,318.

The judge overseeing the paraquat MDL has ordered both parties to undergo depositions regarding 25 cases. Defendants identified the 25 cases as being cases utilizing implausible liability theories connecting Parkinson's disease with exposure to paraquat.

Four exposure claim categories had been previously identified by the court as presenting "far-fetched" liability theories:

• Claims involving plaintiffs with no information about their paraquat exposure
• Claims involving no evidence supporting a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease
• Claims involving claims of the use of paraquat in forms which never existed
• Claims involving other issues which previously led to lawsuits being voluntarily dismissed

The purpose of the depositions is to help the court figure out if these claims are substantiated and plausible, or if the claims should be thrown out due to lacking merit.

Both sides in the paraquat MDL are still eagerly awaiting Daubert rulings, upon which the future of the MDL will hinge.

The number of cases in the MDL decreased by 21 in the past month - there are now 5,051 pending cases in the MDL. This is likely the result of inactive cases being dismissed with the number of new cases being added over the holidays being low.

Lawyers continue to signal a belief the cases will bear fruit for plaintiffs as they continue to file paraquat lawsuits. A case filed last week involves a Texas woman who was exposed to paraquat from about 1965 to 1975 while applying, loading or mixing the herbicide, due to particles of paraquat drifting in the wind, and by contacting plants which had been sprayed with paraquat. The woman obtained a Parkinson's disease diagnosis in 2018.

The Los Angeles Times recently ran a lengthy piece on paraquat and its links with Parkinson's disease. The piece notes that while Syngenta denies claims that paraquat causes Parkinson's disease, the company has placed at least $187.5 million into a settlement fund in response to thousands of lawsuits alleging that the herbicide causes the incurable disease. The piece notes that a 2011 study found that those exposed to paraquat were 2.5 times more likely to develop Parkinson's disease.

86 new cases have been added to the paraquat MDL in the past 30 days, bringing the total number of cases to 5,072.

A lawsuit was filed on October 11, 2023 in Illinois, claiming that paraquat caused a Georgia man to develop Parkinson’s disease after he regularly mixed, sprayed and handled the weedkiller on his family farm for a period of 25 years. The lawsuit accuses Syngenta and Chevron of not providing adequate warnings regarding the risk of Parkinson’s disease associated with paraquat. The lawsuit claims that the companies failed to warn about this risk despite knowing of the risk.

The final Daubert briefs were filed in September 2023, leading to Judge Rosenstengel postponing the first bellwether paraquat trial to allow for more time for consideration and briefing on Daubert motions. The fate of paraquat lawsuits now hinges upon a decision from the multidistrict litigation on Daubert challenges. A decision on the challenges may not come until the new year, as Daubert rulings tend to be very complicated and long. The Daubert hearings were focused upon the link between Parkinson’s disease and paraquat. While plaintiffs argue that paraquat causes tissue damage and cell death which is characteristic of the disease, defendants argued that the disease is mostly the result of genetic factors.

On August 20, 2023, an important Daubert hearing began in paraquat’s MDL. The credibility of Dr. Martin Wells, the plaintiff’s expert epidemiologist, is being contestec by Syngenta and Chevron. Dr. Wells has come to the conclusion that paraquat probably has a significant role regarding the causation of Parkinson’s disease. Syngenta and Chevron are criticizing Dr. Wells as well as experts Peter Spencer and Anthony Lang, highlighting previous courts have excluded Dr. Wells from some cases. Syngenta and Chevron are claiming Parkinson’s is mostly caused by genetic factors.

On August 21, 2023, hearings will be held in the paraquat MDL which will consider how admissible the proposed expert witnesses are for each side and will end up with rulings on summary judgment motions. The reliability and strength of experts opinions will be evaluated to make sure that each expert’s methodology is scientifically sound enough for testimony to be allowed at trial.

353 new paraquat cases were added to the paraquat multidistrict litigation in May 2023, and 223 new paraquat cases were added to the paraquat MDL in June 2023.

In June 2023, Chevron and Syngenta urged a judge in Illinois to grant summary judgment motions in the paraquat MDL. The companies argued that the plaintiffs’ claims that their Parkinson’s disease was caused by paraquat aren’t backed by peer-reviewed science.

MDL proceedings continue, and Judge Nancy Rosenstengel has selected plaintiffs regarding trials which might shape a paraquat settlement. It was announced that hearings will take place in August 2023 where expert testimony’s admissibility will be challenged. The expert testimony is related to establishing that paraquat exposure caused the plaintiffs’ Parkinson’s disease.

In April of 2023, a Philadelphia judge approved a short-form complaint which will help with filings by plaintiffs. The order allows additional plaintiffs to file claims about paraquat allegedly causing Parkinson’s disease. Short-form complaints are often approved in large cases involving large numbers of plaintiffs who are expected to file similar claims. These complaints let future plaintiffs join lawsuits as long as their circumstances and claims are similar. The paraquat short-form complaint will claim plaintiffs developed a neurological injury such as Parkinson’s disease after being exposed to paraquat. Plaintiffs claim that Chevron and Syngenta did not adequately warn farm workers and farmers that using paraquat could lead to neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. The risk of developing Parkinson’s disease still exists even when following the instructions on the labeling of products containing paraquat, according to plaintiffs. In addition, internal documents which the discovery process revealed showed that Syngenta knew that paraquat was dangerous as far back as the 1950s. These documents also contained evidence and notes indicating that Syngenta knew about the link between Parkinson’s disease and paraquat since at least 2001. The claims related to the short-form complaint mirror pending claims in the multidistrict litigation taking place in the Southern District of Illinois. If this MDL is dismissed or stopped, numerous claims will return to their original states, leading to thousands of plaintiffs who might have to use a short-form complaint to refile a case in a state court.

Around 2,000 cases are part of the paraquat MDL.

On January 26th, 2023, non-party Exponent, Inc. filed a response to Paraquat plaintiffs’ discovery request in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, claiming that several documents requested by plaintiffs’ counsel are protected by the work-product doctrine. Exponent, Inc. also noted that the Plaintiffs’ request created “an undue burden” on Exponent because the “vast majority of the documents requested could have been produced by defendant Syngenta.”

The date for the first federal paraquat jury trial has been set for October 16, 2023.

California regulators were recently urged to ban paraquat in a letter sent by The Center for Biological Diversity and Californians for Pesticide Reform. The letter notes that paraquat has been linked with Parkinson’s disease by numerous scientific studies.

The EPA, in a September 2022 filing with the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, said they wish to re-examine paraquat’s risks before they renew the long-term approval of its use and sale in the United States. The EPA requested that the court allow paraquat to be used while the EPA reconsiders its approval, noting that those against re-approval had no objections to letting it be used for now.

The date of the first paraquat trial in the MDL was pushed back until July 2023.

In May of 2022, the number of paraquat Parkinson’s disease lawsuits increased by 35 to 1,150 plaintiffs.

On May 11, Bayer filed an appeal citing the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) continuing to allow paraquat and similar products. This appeal is expected to be rejected and allow pending lawsuits to move forward.

In May of 2022, six paraquat cases were selected to participate in bellwether trials.

In April of 2022, 982 cases were part of the multi-district litigation (MDL) class action lawsuit. This number represents several cases that were transferred into the MDL action.

In July 2021, Syngenta paid $187.5 million into a paraquat settlement fund.