Paraquat

PARAQUAT LAWSUITS

Scientific research shows a clear link between a commercial herbicide known as “paraquat” and Parkinson’s disease. Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky is actively pursuing litigation against the manufacturers of Paraquat to hold them accountable for the dangers which they hid from the public for years.

WHAT IS PARAQUAT?

Paraquat was first introduced to the global market in 1961 and the US market in 1964 and is among the most commonly used herbicides on farms throughout the United States. Paraquat is most commonly sold under the brand name Gramoxone, and is also sold under the following brand names:

• Ortho-Paraquat
• Paraquat Dichloride
• Blanco
• Cyclone SL 2.0
• Firestorm
• Helmquat 3SL
• Bonedry
• Devour
• Para-Shot 3.0
• Quik-Quat
• Bonfire
• Parazone

Paraquat is a non-selective herbicide or weed killer, that is widely used to maintain crops on both commercial and smaller-scale farms. Farms that produce corn, wheat, soybeans, cotton, grapes, and other fruit are regularly sprayed with paraquat or other non-selective herbicides. Those most often exposed to paraquat are farmworkers. Paraquat is often sprayed on fields by hand, and only certified applicators, or users, can mix and apply the chemical.

Certified applicators and those who regularly work farms that have been sprayed with paraquat may have suffered prolonged exposure to the dangerous chemical.

PARAQUAT AND PARKINSON’S DISEASE

Paraquat is toxic. Ingesting the chemical can cause rapid death, and prolonged exposure over months and years can cause a number of neurological disorders, most notably Parkinson’s disease. Despite being poisonous and toxic, makers of paraquat have refused to provide appropriate warnings on the chemical. Manufacturers of paraquat do not warn users that prolonged exposure may cause neurological disorders.

In 2011, the National Institutes of Health revealed that those who used or came into close contact with paraquat were 250% more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than the average American. The NIH explained that both farmworkers and those who live near large farms that use paraquat may have suffered toxic exposure and may have developed Parkinson’s disease as a result. Parkinson’s disease is a nervous system disorder that progressively affects physical movement. Symptoms include: tremors, slowed movement, rigid muscles, impaired posture and balance, loss of automatic bodily movements, speech changes, and changes in handwriting. Parkinson’s disease cannot be cured. For more information about Parkinson’s disease, you can visit the Mayo Clinic’s website.

PARAQUAT NEGLIGENCE

The makers of paraquat have never warned users that paraquat exposure significantly increases the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. The makers of paraquat have also refused to warn the EPA of the science linking paraquat to Parkinson’s disease. Other countries have already recognized the danger posed by paraquat: the chemical has been banned in Europe since 2007, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency has released a report recognizing the scientific links between paraquat and Parkinson’s disease.

PARAQUAT LAWSUIT UPDATE – NOVEMBER 2025

Paraquat lawsuits have been consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois for pretrial proceedings in Multi-District Litigation (also known as an “MDL” or “Mass Tort”) No. 3004, In Re: Paraquat Products Liability Litigation. An MDL is formed when similar cases from across the country are consolidated and transferred to one court and a single judge. While most paraquat cases are being filed in the Federal MDL or the coordinated state court Paraquat litigation in California (JCCP), there are also paraquat cases being filed in Delaware and Pennsylvania.

In the Paraquat MDL and California Paraquat JCCP, a tentative settlement was recently reached for a group of pending cases after the parties signed a Master Settlement Agreement. See September 2025 JCCP Joint Case Management Statement.  Paraquat MDL Judge Nancy Rosenstengel agreed to postpone an October 2025 Paraquat trial pending the outcome of the tentative settlement.   The settlement will be open to a limited group of eligible Plaintiffs.

Meanwhile, litigation in other venues remains unaffected. For example, in the Philadelphia Paraquat litigation, a bellwether trial is set to commence in January of 2026. Judge Joshua Roberts of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, who is overseeing the Philadelphia Paraquat litigation, has also ordered that additional bellwether trials take place each and every month starting in August 2026 through July 2027. The Court has selected 120 cases that will be worked up for trial and a handful of these 120 cases will be listed for trial starting in August 2026.

At this time, Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky continues to accept new Paraquat clients.

PARAQUAT LITIGATION

If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and believe you suffered from long-term exposure to paraquat, contact us today. For nearly 25 years, Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky has been taking on massive corporations on behalf of injured victims—and we have recovered over $4 billion dollars for injured victims in the process.

Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky is a firm of trial lawyers who have unique experience handling chemical and toxic exposure lawsuits, as well as high-profile cases. Partners Larry Cohan and Josh Cohan have represented thousands victims of asbestos, benzene, and lead poisoning, and have represented cancer victims who were harmed by weed killer’s like Roundup and toxins like PFAS. Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky also has significant experience representing victims in mass tort litigation. Larry Cohan and Josh Cohan currently sit on the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee in the PFAS Water Contamination Multidistrict Litigation. Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky attorneys have also been at the center of representing victims in major disasters including the Philadelphia Salvation Army Building Collapse ($227 million settlement) the Amtrak 188 derailment ($265 million settlement), and the Tropicana Garage Collapse ($101 million settlement).

COMPLAINTS FILED:

• Eastern District of Pennsylvania, No. 2:21-cv-01996-JMY
• Eastern District of Pennsylvania, No. 2:21-02013
• Eastern District of Pennsylvania, No. 2:1:02016
• Southern District of Illinois, No. 3:21-cv-00439
• Northern District of California, No. 3:21-cv-03233
• Northern District of California, No. 3:21-cv-03229

Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky is a firm of trial lawyers who have unique experience handling chemical and toxic exposure lawsuits, as well as high-profile cases. We have represented victims of asbestos, benzene, and lead poisoning, and have represented cancer victims who were harmed by weed killer’s like Roundup and toxins like PFAS. Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky also has significant experience representing victims in mass tort litigation. Our partners currently sit on the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee in the PFAS Water Contamination Multidistrict Litigation and represent hundreds of plaintiffs in the 3M Combat Arms Military Earplug Litigation. Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky attorneys have been at the center of representing victims in major disasters including the Philadelphia Salvation Army Building Collapse ($227 million settlement) the Amtrak 188 derailment ($265 million settlement), and the Tropicana Garage Collapse ($101 million settlement).

CONTACT PARAQUAT LAWYERS TODAY

If you have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease after exposure to paraquat fill out our free case evaluation form below: