There have been several lawsuits filed against Paraquat as a result of the pesticide’s alleged link to Parkinson’s disease. The first of these was filed in Missouri in 2017. The second followed suit in California in 2018.
David Culpepper
One of the many plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit filed against the manufacturer of the pesticide Paraquat is farmer David Culpepper. Culpepper was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in September 2019. His lawsuit asserts that his exposure to Paraquat caused his disease and that it was the underlying cause of his symptoms. Culpepper, a farmer, claims that he regularly worked with the chemical while living near farms where Paraquat was used.
The trial date for the Paraquat lawsuit has been set for November 15, 2022. While this date is still uncertain, several other lawsuits involving the chemical are nearing a trial date. Currently, the case has 16 cases identified for the first round of bellwether trials. Plaintiffs must complete fact discovery by the end of this month to determine how to prioritize the cases for trial. The court will then use fact discovery to determine the preferred cases.
Chevron
A recent ruling by a U.S. judicial panel will consolidate Paraquat Parkinson’s disease lawsuits. These products, used worldwide for fifty years, have been linked to Parkinson’s disease. At present, 77 lawsuits have been filed in 16 different districts, but the same factual issues are involved in all of them. Because of the similarities among these cases, the centralization will eliminate duplicative discovery, avoid inconsistent pretrial rulings, and save time and resources.
Plaintiffs filed a motion to consolidate these lawsuits in federal courts across the country. Chevron and Syngenta did not object to the motion. In June, Rosenstengel was assigned nearly 600 cases. He expects to hold a bellwether trial in November. The cases are expected to last for a decade unless settlement negotiations take place before that. However, there is some good news for those who are affected by the chemicals.
Syngenta
A class-action lawsuit filed against the Swiss chemical company Syngenta over the alleged occurrence of Parkinson’s disease caused by its weed-killing chemical Paraquat is moving forward. Lawyers representing the plaintiffs are asking a federal judge in California to consolidate over a dozen similar cases. This is an attempt to ensure that the courts do not overreach their authority. The plaintiffs claim that Syngenta was aware of the dangers of Paraquat for decades and failed to warn its customers of the dangerous side effects of the product.
The lawsuits allege that Syngenta did not adequately warn consumers of the risks of Paraquat and that the company’s products were defectively designed. In February 2021, James Hemker filed a suit against Syngenta. He claimed that Paraquat had no warnings about the neurotoxic effects of exposure to the herbicide, that caused his condition. This lawsuit outlines the lawsuits against Syngenta and Chevron and details the progress of the litigation.
Class action lawsuits
Whether you have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease or another type of neurodegenerative disease, you may be eligible to file a Paraquat class action lawsuit. This type of lawsuit focuses on the manufacturer’s failure to provide adequate warnings of the dangers of Paraquat. By pursuing your claim, you can get the financial compensation you need to pay your medical bills and lost wages. Contact a law firm that has experience in dealing with large companies.
While the case is still ongoing, progress is being made. The first lawsuit against Paraquat was filed in Missouri last year. It is currently scheduled to go to trial on November 15, 2022. The plaintiffs are undergoing fact discovery in preparation for the trial. In the meantime, the defendants may decide to offer settlements before the first trial. This would allow the class action attorneys to focus their efforts on collecting compensation.
Bellwether trials
The judge in the MDL has confirmed six Paraquat Parkinson’s disease lawsuits as bellwether trials. The plaintiffs selected half of these cases and the defense selected the other half. During the case discovery process, these 16 cases were selected randomly by computer, and the plaintiffs then pushed them through the short fact discovery process. After the fact discovery process, the plaintiffs’ attorneys have chosen their bellwether trial cases and are now conducting fact and expert discovery.
The MDL judge granted plaintiffs in the Paraquat cases a brief extension of discovery deadlines. In 2022, the first Bellwether Trial is expected to take place in November. Thereafter, the remaining 12 cases will go through expert discovery, and the bellwether trial will open in March 2023. Plaintiffs can pursue compensation for medical bills, loss of income, and pain and suffering.
