If you or a loved one were diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease after using Paraquat herbicide weed killer, you may be entitled to recover compensation from a Paraquat lawsuit case or settlement claim.
A team of products liability injury lawyers and class action attorneys is investigating potential lawsuit cases and settlement claims of individuals who claim to have been diagnosed with or have suffered from Parkinson’s disease after using or being exposed to Paraquat weed killer.
Paraquat (a/k/a paraquat dichloride, methyl viologen and paraquat methosulfate) is one of the most widely used quick-acting non-selective herbicide products in the United States and is used to kill weeds, grasses and other unwanted vegitation. According to the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Pesticide National Synthesis Project, it is estimated that farmers in the U.S. use more than 10 million pounds of Paraquat every year.
Unfortunately, paraquat is a highly toxic chemical (e.g., one sip can be fatal) and has been linked to Parkinson’s disease. A National Institute of Health study found that people who used Paraquat were 2.5 times more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than non-users.
Paraquat Parkinson’s Lawsuit: Overview
- What Is The Paraquat Parkinson’s Lawsuit About?
- What Is Paraquat Herbicide?
- Who May Qualify For a Paraquat Lawsuit or Settlement?
- What Injuries Have Been Linked to Paraquat Exposure?
- What Companies Have Been Sued Over Paraquat?
- What is The Status of Paraquat Lawsuits?
- Which Herbicide Products Are Involved In The Paraquat Litigation?
- Who May Have Been Exposed To Paraquat Weedkiller/Pesticides?
- How and Where Is Paraquat Used?
- What Types of Crops Is Paraquat Used On?
- Can I Recover Compensation From a Paraquat Lawsuit?
- Can Families Recover Money in Paraquat Wrongful Death Cases?
- Is There A Deadline To File a Paraquat Lawsuit?
- Request A Free Case Review From A Paraquat Injury Lawyer
Paraquat Lawsuit & Settlement Claims
Paraquat lawsuit and settlement cases potentially being investigated include claims of individuals who were diagnosed with or suffered from Parkinson’s disease after being exposed to Paraquat weed killer via inhalation or breathing or contact with the skin, eyes or mouth.
If you or someone you love suffered from Parkinson’s disease after exposure to Paraquat herbicide, you may be eligible to recover monetary compensation from a Paraquat lawsuit or settlement case.
Paraquat Parkinson’s Lawsuit Complaints
Thousands of individuals who claim to have been exposed to Paraquat herbicide have filed lawsuits seeking to recover money damages for injuries suffered as a result of their Paraquat exposure. According to the Paraquat lawsuit complaints, the plaintiffs developed Parkinson’s disease as a result of being exposed to Paraquat.
The Paraquat lawsuit complaint alleges that epidemiological studies (studies of patterns and causes of disease in defined populations) have found an association between Paraquat exposure and Parkinson’s disease, including multiple studies finding a 2 to 5-fold or greater increase in the risk of Parkinson’s disease in populations with exposure to Paraquat compared to populations without such exposure.
Plaintiffs in the Paraquat Parkinson’s lawsuit complaints allege, among other things, that Defendants knew or should have known that Paraquat was a highly toxic substance that can cause severe neurological injuries and impairment. Plaintiffs in the Paraquat Parkinson’s lawsuits further allege that Defendant failed to appropriately and adequately test Paraquat-based products to protect them from the hazards of exposure to Paraquat and that Defendants failed to adequately warn Plaintiffs.
The Paraquat lawsuit cases assert legal claims for, among other things, Strict Products Liability Design Defect, Strict Products Liability Failure to Warn, Negligence, Breach of Implied Warranty of Merchantability, Fraud, Concerted Action Aiding-And-Abetting Fraud, Loss of Consortium, and/or Wrongful Death.
Paraquat lawsuits filed in federal courts have been consolidated into an MDL or multi district litigation, styled In Re Paraquat Products Liability Litigation, Case No. 3:21-md-03004-NJR, MDL No. 3004, U.S. District Court, Southern District Illinois (Chief Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel).
Companies Sued For Paraquat Injuries
Defendants named in the Paraquat lawsuit cases have included various manufacturers, sellers and/or distributors of Paraquat herbicide including:
- Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC
- Syngenta AG
- Chevron U.S.A., Inc.
- FMC Corporation
Paraquat Lawsuit & Settlement Updates
Recent updates about Paraquat lawsuits and settlements include:
- January 2025: As of January 2, 2025, there were 5,825 paraquat lawsuits pending in the federal paraquat lawsuit MDL.
- March 2024: As of March 1, 2024 more than 5,300 paraquat lawsuits are pending in the federal paraquat lawsuit MDL.
- January 2024: As of January 2, 2024 there were more than 5,000 paraquat lawsuit cases pending in the federal paraquat MDL.
- September 2023: On September 8, 2023 Defendants’ filed their Closing Brief on Motions to Exclude Expert Testimony Under Federal Rule 702 and Plaintiffs filed their Closing Daubert Brief.
- August 2023: On August 21-24, 2023, the Court held Daubert hearings to decide whether to exclude the testimony of certain of the Parties’ experts. On August 24, Court entered an order instructing the Parties to submit closing briefs on the Daubert motions. The Court also postponed the bellwether trial that was scheduled to begin in October 2023. As of August 2023, more than 4,500 paraquat lawsuits remain pending in the paraquat MDL.
- July 2023: On July 10, 2023 Plaintiffs filed their response to Defendants’ motion to exclude Plaintiffs’ expert testimony and Defendants filed their Joint Opposition to Plaintiffs’ Motion to Exclude Defendants’ expert testimony. On July 28, the Parties filed their reply briefs in support of their motions to exclude testimony and Defendants filed their reply brief in support of summary judgment.
Older Paraquat Lawsuit & Settlement Updates
- June 2023: On June 7, 2023 Defendants filed a motion for summary judgment and a motion to exclude Plaintiffs’ expert testimony under Rule 702. On June 7 Plaintiffs filed a motion to exclude Defendants’ expert testimony under Rule 702.
- May 2022: The Court issued an order amending the discovery schedule, including certain deadlines for the bellwether trials.
- June 2021: On June 8, 2023 the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation entered a Transfer Order transferring certain paraquat lawsuits pending in various federal courts to the Honorable Nancy J. Rosenstengel in the Southern District of Illinois for coordinated or consolidated pretrial proceedings
Paraquat Products Involved in Paraquat Litigation
Paraquat products involved in the Paraquat litigation include, among others, the following:
- Gramoxone
- Action
- Agroquat
- Almoxone
- Ax Paraquat concentrate
- Axill Solutions Paraquat 3SL
- Blanco
- Bonedry
- Cap Pelanduk
- Capayam
- Cekuquat
- Crisquat
- Cropoquat
- Cyclone
- Cyclone SL 2.0
- Crysquat
- Delta-Quat
- Dextrone X
- Dexuron
- Devour
- Dragocson
- Dynaquat
- Efoxon
- Esgram
- Erazone
- Express
- Esgram
- Firestorm
- Galokson
- Goldquat
- Gramex
- Gramix
- Gramixel
- Gramuron
- Halexone
- Helmquat 3SL
- Herbatop
- Herboxon
- Herbikill
- Inferno
- Kapid
- Katalon
- Kemozone
- Kendo
- Ken-Tec
- Kingxone
- Liberty Paraquat concentrate
- LPI 6620 Paraquat 3SL
- Marman Herbiquat
- Methyl Viologen Dichloride
- Methyl Viologen
- Multiquat
- Nuquat
- Ortho-Paraquat
- Osaquat
- Paquat
- Para
- Parable
- Paraco
- ParaCol
- Parakill
- Parakwat
- Paranox
- Paraquat Concentrate
- Paraquato
- Para-Shot 3.0
- Paratone
- Paratroop
- Parawin
- Parazone
- Pathclear
- Pillarquat
- Pillarxone
- Plusquat
- Priquat
- Prelude
- Quick-Quat
- RBix
- Revolver
- Scythe
- Secaquat
- Shirquat
- Sparkle
- Speeder
- Speedway
- Sweep
- Swat
- Sunaquat
- Tigris Paraquat
- Total
- Toxer
- Uniquat
- Weedless
- Weedol
- Willowood Paraquat concentrate
- Other Paraquat weed killer herbicides
Paraquat Herbicide Exposure Claims
Individuals who may have been exposed to Paraquat herbicide include those who sprayed, mixed or loaded Paraquat herbicide products or otherwise came into contact with Paraquat, including:
- Farmers and farm workers
- Agricultural workers
- Crop field workers
- Herbicide or pesticide applicators
- Weed sprayers
- Knapsack or backpack sprayers
- Handheld sprayers
- Motorized sprayers
- Tractor or truck drivers of pressurized spray tanks
- Crop dusters
- Farm owners
- Tank fillers or transporters
- Chemical and herbicide mixers
- Herbicide cleaners
- Herbicide transporters
- Landscapers
- Gardeners
- Landscapers
- Groundskeepers
- Nursery employees
- Garden center workers
- Horticulture worker
- Railroad workers who remove vegetation from train tracks
- Others who used or were exposed to Paraquat
Many herbicides that contain paraquat are tinted blue in color and can have a pungent smell.
Paraquat Use: Spraying, Mixing, Loading, Etc.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies paraquat as a Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP) that may only be used by trained certified pesticide applicators. Paraquat use can include:
- Pre-application activities
- Mixing paraquat
- Loading paraquat
- Applying paraquat
- Spraying paraquat
- Transporting paraquat
- Storing paraquat containers
- Cleaning equipment
- Disposing of excess paraquat
- Disposing of paraquat spray mix
- Disposing of equipment wash waters
- Disposing of paraquat containers
- Disposing of other paraquat-containing materials
- Other paraquat pesticide-related activities
Paraquat Weedkiller Crops
Paraquat weedkiller products are “Group 22” herbicides (also known as Photosynthesis Inhibitors, Photosystem I Inhibitors and/or cell membrane distruptors) that inhibit photosynthesis and cause the destruction of plant cell membranes. Paraquat has been used by farmers on a broad spectrum of emerged weeds on crops and vegitation (to control or suppress weeds and to desiccate or dry plants before harvest), including:
- Alfalfa
- Artichoke
- Asparagus
- Berries and small fruit (kiwifruit and strawberries)
- Cacao
- Cassava and Yam
- Cereal Grains
- Citrus Fruit
- Coffee
- Corn
- Cotton
- Cover crop burndown
- Cucurbit vegetables
- Fallow applications
- Fruiting vegetables (okra, tomatoes, etc.)
- Ginger
- Grapes
- Grasses grown for seeds
- Hops
- Leafy vegetables (brassica, rhubarb, etc.)
- Legume vegetables (beans, peas, soybeans, etc.)
- Mint
- Nongrass animal feed (forage, feed, straw, hay, etc.)
- Onion and garlic
- Oilseed (safflower, sunflower, etc.)
- Pasture and conservation lands
- Peanuts
- Pome fruit
- Rice
- Root and tubers (carrots, turnips, sugarbeets, taro, etc.)
- Sorghum
- Soybean
- Stone fruit
- Sugarcane
- Tree nuts
- Tropical and subtropical fruit
- Tuberous vegetables
- Other crops and farmland
Compensation For Paraquat Injuries
Plaintiffs who bring Paraquat lawsuits may be able to recover compensation for injuries suffered, including money damages for losses incurred as a result of exposure to Paraquat herbicide, such as:
- Compensatory damages for pain and suffering
- Loss of wages or earnings due to missed work
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Medical care expenses incurred or to be incurred
- Other out of pocket expenses
- Loss of quality or enjoyment of life
- Mental anguish/emotional distress
- Loss of consortium
- Other possible Paraquat monetary damages
Certain family and loved ones of individuals who died as a result of Paraquat exposure may be able to recover financial compensation from a Paraquat wrongful death lawsuit or settlement claim.
Paraquat wrongful death lawsuit damages might include, among other things, pecuniary losses suffered by a surviving spouse or next of kin of the deceased family member, such as past and future loss of money or income, benefits, goods, services, and loss of society (i.e., the mutual benefits that each family member receives from the other’s continued existence, including love, affection, care, attention, companionship, comfort, guidance, and protection).
Time Is Limited To File A Paraquat Lawsuit
Deadlines called statutes of limitation and statutes of repose may limit the amount of time that individuals have to file a paraquat lawsuit to try to recover compensation for injuries they claim to have suffered (i.e., Parkinson’s disease) after being exposed to paraquat.
This means that if a paraquat lawsuit claim is not filed before the applicable time limit or deadline, the claimant may be barred from ever taking legal action or pursuing litigation regarding their paraquat injury claim. That is why it is important to connect with a paraquat injury lawyer or attorney as soon as possible.
If you or someone you love were diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease after using or being exposed to Paraquat herbicide, you may be entitled to compensation from a Paraquat lawsuit or settlement. Contact an injury lawyer to request a free case review.
*If you or a loved one are experiencing health issues, side effects or complications (i.e., Parkinson’s symptoms) from a product, we urge you to promptly consult with your doctor or physician for an evaluation.
**The listing of a company (i.e., Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC and Chevron USA, Inc.) or product (i.e., Paraquat) is not meant to state or imply that the company acted illegally or improperly or that the product is unsafe or defective; rather only that an investigation may be, is or was being conducted to determine whether legal rights have been violated.
***The use of any trademarks, tradenames or service marks is solely for product identification and/or informational purposes.
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