See if you qualify for this lawsuit
Quick form — a real person will review your info and reach out if you may have a case.
What Is Paraquat?
Paraquat is a fast-acting herbicide used to kill weeds and grasses on farms, orchards, and commercial properties. It is manufactured by Syngenta (formerly part of Zeneca) and sold under the brand name Gramoxone. In the United States, paraquat is classified as a restricted-use pesticide — meaning only licensed applicators are supposed to handle it — but exposure was extremely common among farm workers and agricultural employees for decades. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Restricted Use Pesticide registration.)
Paraquat is mixed as a liquid concentrate and applied by spray, often in large quantities across open fields. Workers who mixed, loaded, or applied the product — or who worked near fields where it was being sprayed — were regularly exposed through skin contact, inhalation, and incidental ingestion.
The Link Between Paraquat and Parkinson’s Disease
Decades of independent scientific research have established a strong association between paraquat exposure and Parkinson’s disease. Paraquat generates reactive oxygen species in the body that damage dopaminergic neurons — the same brain cells destroyed in Parkinson’s disease. The National Institutes of Health and the Parkinson’s Foundation have both acknowledged the link. Multiple peer-reviewed studies have found that people exposed to paraquat have a significantly elevated risk of developing Parkinson’s. (Tanner et al., Environmental Health Perspectives, 2011; Parkinson’s Foundation, parkinson.org.)
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder. Early symptoms often include tremors in the hands or limbs, muscle stiffness, and slowed movement. As the disease advances, it can affect balance, speech, swallowing, and cognitive function. There is no cure.
Status of the Lawsuits
Thousands of people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease after working with or near paraquat have filed federal lawsuits against Syngenta and other manufacturers. Those cases have been consolidated in a federal Multi-District Litigation:
- MDL 3004, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, before Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel
- More than 6,542 cases were pending as of April 2026
- A settlement in principle was reached in April 2025; the financial terms have not been publicly released
- In March 2026, the parties asked the court to approve creation of a Qualified Settlement Fund to help distribute settlement money to claimants
- In January 2026, Syngenta settled the Bill Mertens case — a 77-year-old retired landscaper who was exposed to paraquat during the 1980s and 1990s and diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2021 — one day before it was scheduled to go to trial in Philadelphia
- Syngenta has announced it will stop manufacturing paraquat
The MDL process means cases from across the country are being handled together in one court for pretrial purposes. Individual cases are not dismissed — they remain separate and may proceed to trial or settlement on their own facts. (MDL No. 3004, docket accessed April 2026.)
Who May Qualify
You may qualify if the following describe your situation:
- You worked as a farmer, agricultural worker, farm laborer, landscaper, or in another occupation where you mixed, applied, or were regularly exposed to paraquat herbicide (sold as Gramoxone and other brand names).
- You have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
- There was a meaningful period of exposure — typically years of contact, not a single incident.
Family members of people who developed Parkinson’s disease after paraquat exposure and later died may also have wrongful death cases.
Two minutes — fill out the free form below.
A real person reviews every submission. If you may have a case, someone will reach out within one week.
Start Free Case Check →What Could This Mean for You?
If you qualify, you may be owed money for medical costs of managing Parkinson’s disease, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses connected to your diagnosis. Parkinson’s disease is a lifelong condition that often requires ongoing care, medication, and eventually significant support — all of which represent real financial harm.
We will not quote you a specific number. What any individual case may be worth depends on your diagnosis, the severity of your illness, the extent and duration of your exposure, and how your case resolves. Those facts are unique to every person.
Filing Deadline
Statutes of limitations vary by state. Many people with Parkinson’s disease were exposed to paraquat for years before they connected their diagnosis to their work history. In many states, the clock starts from when you discovered — or should have discovered — the link between your exposure and your illness, not from the date of diagnosis itself.
If you worked around paraquat and have Parkinson’s disease, get a case evaluation as soon as possible. Once a deadline passes, you cannot recover — even if you clearly would have qualified. The case check is free and takes two minutes.
How the Process Works
Step 1 — Fill out the free form
No cost, no commitment. Takes about two minutes. A real person on our intake team reviews every submission.
Step 2 — A lawyer reviews your exposure history and Parkinson’s diagnosis
If it looks like you may qualify, someone reaches out. They will go over your work history, how long you were exposed, what product was used, and when you were diagnosed.
Step 3 — If you qualify, attorneys work on contingency
You pay nothing unless you win. If your case doesn’t recover money, you owe nothing.
Step 4 — Your case is filed
Your case is filed and pursued as part of the federal litigation. The law firm handles the legal work. Most clients never have to travel or appear in a courtroom.
Common Questions
Paraquat was commonly sold as Gramoxone, Para-SHOT, Blanco, Helmquat, and Firestorm, among other names. It is a blue or green liquid with a sharp smell. Employment records, purchase orders, or records from the farm or employer may confirm what was used. A lawyer can help obtain those records.
Possibly not. Because many people didn’t know about the paraquat-Parkinson’s link until recently, some states allow the clock to start from discovery rather than from the date of exposure or diagnosis. Get an evaluation before assuming it’s too late.
No. Many manufacturers and distributors downplayed or failed to disclose the risks of paraquat. What your employer told you does not bar you from filing a lawsuit.
Not to start the process. A lawyer can help gather employment and exposure records if your case moves forward. You do not need to have those documents in hand before you reach out.
No. The lawsuits relate to past injuries caused by past exposure. Syngenta’s decision to stop manufacturing paraquat does not affect pending cases or the ability of new claimants to file.
Sources
- MDL No. 3004, In re: Paraquat Products Liability Litigation, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois (Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel). Docket accessed April 2026.
- Tanner, C.M. et al. “Rotenone, Paraquat, and Parkinson’s Disease.” Environmental Health Perspectives, 119(6), 2011.
- “Paraquat Dichloride.” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Restricted Use Pesticide product registration.
- Drugwatch. “Paraquat Lawsuit (April 2026) Parkinson’s Claims.” drugwatch.com/paraquat/lawsuits/ Accessed April 2026.
- Consumer Notice. “Paraquat Lawsuits: 2026 Updates, Eligibility, Settlements & Status.” consumernotice.org. Accessed April 2026.
- Parkinson’s Foundation. “Pesticides and Parkinson’s.” parkinson.org. Accessed April 2026.