Paraquat MDL Judge Requires Settlement Holdouts To Meet With Special Master

Lawyers have been working to finalize a Paraquat settlement agreement since at least April 2025, but many plaintiffs have not agreed to settle their Parkinson’s disease lawsuits against manufacturers of the controversial weedkiller.

The U.S. District Judge presiding over all federal Paraquat Parkinson’s disease lawsuits has ordered plaintiffs who have not yet signed on to a pending settlement agreement to each personally meet with the Special Master presiding over the negotiations, and is requiring lawyers to submit a new status report by July 6, 2026.

For months, Syngenta and Chevron have reportedly been on the verge of a deal that could resolve nearly 6,700 product liability lawsuits filed by landscapers, farmers and other agricultural workers, each indicating they developed Parkinson’s disease from exposure to Paraquat, a controversial weedkiller that has been banned in several countries.

First introduced in the U.S. under the brand name Gramoxone in 1964, Paraquat is a powerful and toxic herbicide widely used nationwide to kill broadleaf weeds and grasses before crops are planted. It is also used to dry out some crops before processing.

Paraquat has long been known to carry serious poisoning risks. However, in recent years an increasing body of scientific evidence has also linked Paraquat exposure to Parkinson’s disease. Data appears to indicate long-term exposure, such as with agricultural workers who spray, mix or handle the weedkiller, increases the risk of chronic and progressive neurological damage.

Amid a steady stream of claims being filed across the U.S., all federal Paraquat lawsuits were centralized in the Southern District of Illinois as part of a federal MDL (multidistrict litigation) in June 2021, and U.S. District Judge Nancy Rosenstengal has been presiding over coordinated discovery and pretrial proceedings over the past five years.

Paraquat Lawsuit Settlement

Originally, the judge planned to hold a series of “bellwether” early test trials that would have given the parties a chance to see how juries ruled after weighing evidence and testimony that would have likely been used throughout the litigation. However, the first trial, scheduled to begin in January, was cancelled after the parties announced a Paraquat lawsuit settlement agreement was being finalized, which was expected to resolve the litigation.

Plaintiffs and defendants have been indicating they are finalizing terms of the deal since April 2025. Judge Rosenstengal placed a stay on the litigation when the deal was announced, to give the parties a chance to iron out the details of the agreement with the help of Special Master Randi Ellis, who has overseen negotiations.

On June 12, Judge Rosenstengal issued a case management order (PDF) impacting all plaintiffs who have either decided not to participate in the Paraquat settlement, have yet to make a decision or who file claims in the future. The order calls for all of these plaintiffs to contact Special Master Ellis within 30 days to arrange a personal meeting to discuss the settlement details, their concerns and requirements for moving forward.

Any plaintiffs who still do not participate will have to meet a series of requirements, such as documentation and affidavits on use, Parkinson’s disease diagnoses and other evidence necessary to prove their injuries. However, Judge Rosenstengal noted there is not yet any deadline for that part of the process, as the deal has yet to be finalized.

The order did not state how many plaintiffs have rejected the deal or remain undecided.

“The Court is issuing this CMO now so that each Plaintiff who elects not to participate in the Settlement or any Plaintiff who asserts a claim against Defendants after the date of this CMO has notice of what will be required of them and can begin to gather the required information.”

– U.S. District Judge Nancy Rosenstengel, Southern District of Illinois

In a separate text docket entry issued this morning, Judge Rosenstengal directed plaintiffs to provide a status report to the Special Master on or before July 6, 2026.

In March, Syngenta announced a phaseout of global Paraquat production to be completed this month. The decision came as lawmakers in a growing number of states called for a Paraquat ban. Syngenta still maintains that Paraquat was safe, claiming it decided to move on to new technologies.

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