Paraquat Litigation Update

paraquat herbicide litigation lawsuit

Chief U.S. District Judge Nancy Rosenstengel, a federal judge in southern Illinois and the one who is handling the Paraquat multidistrict litigation, ruled that claims against Syngenta Corp. and Chevron USA can move forward.

  • Rosenstengel denied motions by Syngenta and Chevron to dismiss claims for strict product liability, negligence, breach of implied warranty and violation of several states’ consumer protection laws.
  • On the flip side, she dismissed the plaintiffs’ public nuisance count.

Read this Reuters article, MDL Judge Advances Most Paraquat Claims Against Syngenta, Chevron


Paraquat Herbicide Linked to Parkinson’s Disease

Paraquat dichloride, commonly known as “paraquat”, is a popular, fast-acting, non-selective herbicide agent used primarily by farmers to eliminate weeds in orchards and farms and commercial crops. Known to be a toxic weed killer, exposure to it has been linked to adverse health effects, such as Parkinson’s disease.

Plaintiffs allege that manufacturers of the paraquat-based herbicide knew about this link yet failed to ensure that farmworkers and others exposed to the product were adequately warned about the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.

About Paraquat

The herbicide has been on the market since the mid-1960s.

  • While it has been banned in more than 30 countries; it is approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency only for licensed commercial users.
  • The herbicide is currently marketed in the U.S. by Syngenta under the brand name of Gramoxone. It was distributed prior to 1986 by Chevron.

In June 2021, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) ordered the consolidation of all paraquat lawsuits into the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois centralizing the cases before The Honorable Nancy J. Rosenstengel.

  • At present there are nearly 600 cases that have been filed.
  • A bellwether trial is expected to be held in November

Case is: In re Paraquat Products Liability Litigation, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois, No. 21-md-03004.


More Litigation Updates

On February 8, 2022, Rosenstengel ruled that depositions taken by Stephen Tillery in the court of St. Claire County Associate Judge Kevin Hoerner belong to all plaintiffs in national paraquat litigation. According to the judge, 677 plaintiffs would suffer irreparable harm if their lawyers couldn’t review prior testimony before deposing corporate witnesses, putting plaintiffs at a clear disadvantage.

Read: Rosenstengel Says Paraquat Depositions Belong to all Plaintiffs in National Litigation


WHY HIRE NASH & FRANCISKATO?

Due to the widespread use in farming and landscaping numerous lawsuits have been filed alleging the makers (Chevron and Syngenta) failed to disclose that the herbicide paraquat increased the risk of Parkinson’s disease. Legal actions allege that exposure to paraquat has either caused or increased the risk of the disease.

If you or a loved one has been directly exposed to paraquat (Gramoxone) or been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, you may be eligible to bring a claim against the manufacturers for their failure to warn about the risks associated with it, which may provide:

  • coverage for Parkinson’s disease treatments and medical expenses
  • compensation for pain and suffering
  • past and future lost wages

Companies that have manufactured the herbicide could potentially be liable. They have a responsibility to make their products reasonably safe and warn about non-obvious dangers associated with its use.

The lawyers at Nash & Franciskato can help you prove exposure to paraquat is what caused you to develop Parkinson’s disease. Since there may need to be in-depth investigations conducted, the time to request your free, no-obligation case review is today.

Call Nash & Franciskato at (877) 284-6600. One of our experienced staff will speak with you personally. We will review your case in a free and confidential consultation with no risk or obligation to take legal action

START YOUR FREE CASE EVALUATION TODAY

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