The powerful weed killer paraquat has been used in commercial agricultural applications for decades. Although direct ingestion of the herbicide can be fatal, manufacturers have maintained that paraquat is safe when used as directed. Recent research, however, has suggested that chronic exposure to the chemical may lead to Parkinson’s disease (PD).
A growing number of farmers, agricultural workers, and others exposed to paraquat have filed suit, claiming the herbicide is to blame for their illness. In fact, paraquat lawsuits have been grouped into an MDL (multidistrict litigation) that added more than 200 plaintiffs per month in 2022. The cases continue to mount in 2023, with hundreds of new paraquat Parkinson’s lawsuits joining the MDL.