Syngenta Paraquat Cases Progress Toward a Bellwether Trial
A late October hearing signaled movement toward trial for plaintiffs demanding compensation from the makers of paraquat weed killer, reports US Right to Know. U.S. District Judge Nancy Rosenstengel of the Southern District of Illinois prompted attorneys in more than 380 cases to begin assessing plaintiffs.
Judge Schedules Conference for Paraquat MDL
The judge who is presiding over a federal multidistrict litigation (MDL) for Paraquat lawsuits scheduled a conference for June 23, 2021, wherein defendants’ and plaintiffs’ lawyers will meet for the first time. Plaintiffs in the lawsuits consist largely of agricultural workers and farmers who developed Parkinson’s disease after being exposed to the Paraquat herbicide.
First Paraquat Trial Delayed, But MDL Is Created as More Lawsuits Come to Bear
The first trial among multiple claims filed against Paraquat makers and distributors was delayed. It was the most recent of several delays for this highly anticipated litigation. The claim involves a man who developed Parkinson’s disease after decades of exposure to Paraquat.
Thomas Hoffman worked as a farmer. According to his complaint, the plaintiff was first exposed to Paraquat when he was in the fifth grade, and the exposure continued for decades in the course of Hoffman’s farming work. He died in 2017, only 23 days after filing his lawsuit.