Paraquat Parkinson's Disease Lawsuits To Move Forward to Bellwether Trials in November 2022

The ruling that trials could proceed is a sign the MDL judge may think there is sufficient evidence against Syngenta to let juries have a look

Tuesday, February 15, 2022 - Reuters is reporting that progress has been made for the thousands of people who have filed lawsuits that allege coming into contact with paraquat regularly and for more than one year has caused them to develop paraquat Parkinson's disease, a neurological order for which there is no cure. Farmers, farmworkers, and people who live work, and play near farms that use paraquat claim that paraquat spraying caused them to come into direct skin contact and inhale the highly toxic chemical. "Hundreds of agricultural workers and others who say they developed Parkinson's disease as a result of occupational exposure to the herbicide paraquat can proceed with most of their claims against Syngenta Corp. and Chevron USA, a federal judge in southern Illinois ruled Monday," according to Reuters. Legal analysts believe that the decision to move forward towards November 2022 bellwether trials demonstrates that the MDL judge, after reviewing the scientific data and interviewing expert witnesses from both sides, thinks there is enough there to go to trial. Thousands of lawsuits by those who have come into contact with paraquat are suing Syngenta and are organized in multidistrict litigation (MDL). Paraquat Lawyers think that the bellwether trials will show that Syngenta knew that paraquat could be the cause of neurological damage if inhaled regularly in low doses and covered up this information. The MDL judge limited the plaintiff group to only those with individual personal injuries.

More than 50 countries have banned using paraquat herbicide because of its toxicity to human beings. One little sip of paraquat may cause instant human death. Thousands of people, particularly those in underdeveloped countries, have used the chemical to commit suicide quickly and thoroughly. Brazil, Austria, China, Cambodia, Denmark, Finland, Kuwait, Slovenia, Sweden, Syria, Thailand, Switzerland, and the EU are among the nations that have banned using paraquat. Public pressure forced Syngenta, the maker of paraquat to dye the chemical bright blue, add a foul and distinguishable odor, and add an emetic to paraquat to make it undeniably something to be avoided and also to induce vomiting if swallowed. Unfortunately, the amount of the emetic was insufficient to save lives and hundreds and Syngenta knew this and lied according to a US government-company whistleblower. Lawsuits have been filed by the surviving loved ones of people who drank paraquat and died quoting the whistleblower's testimony in what has become known as the Paraquat Papers, alleging the company knew the amount of emetic was insufficient to save lives but claimed otherwise in public.

Parkinson's disease is a disorder of the nervous system that occurs when the brain cells that produce dopamine, a chemical responsible for communication between brain cells responsible for motor coordination and memory, are damaged. It is widely accepted that inhaling paraquat and other agricultural pesticides and herbicide disrupts the production of this critical chemical and leads to symptoms described as Parkinson's disease.

Lawyers for Paraquat Lawsuits

Attorneys handling Paraquat Lawsuits for leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and multiple myeloma offer free, no-obligation case review for individuals and families who believe they may have grounds to file a paraquat Parkinson's lawsuit. Working on a contingency basis, these attorneys are committed to never charging legal fees unless they win compensation in your paraquat Parkinson's lawsuit. The product liability litigators handling Roundup claims at the Onder Law Firm have a strong track record of success in representing families harmed by dangerous drugs and consumer products.