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Paraquat lawsuit: Parkinson’s disease claims and settlement status
Lawsuits claim that exposure to the weed killer paraquat, sold mainly as Gramoxone, caused Parkinson’s disease. A settlement was reported in 2025, and many federal cases are now in a court-supervised settlement process.
By SettlementLift. Published · Updated .
Who was exposed
Paraquat is a restricted-use herbicide in the United States, so claims usually involve people who mixed or sprayed it, such as farmworkers and certified applicators, or people who lived or worked near treated fields.
The federal MDL
MDL 3004 is before Chief Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel in the Southern District of Illinois. Defendants include Syngenta and Chevron. The federal panel reported 6,602 pending cases as of October 1, 2026, a number that has been falling.
JPML: Pending MDL dockets by actions pending (October 1, 2026) ↗Settlement status
A global settlement was reported to the court in 2025. Its terms are confidential, and individual offers depend on each person’s records. Some plaintiffs have opted out, and their cases continue separately.
Records that matter
Proof of exposure (employment records, applicator licenses, purchase records or witness statements), the years of exposure, and a Parkinson’s diagnosis from a neurologist.
Deadlines
Each state sets its own filing deadline, and the clock often starts when you knew or should have known about the injury and its possible cause. Joining an MDL does not pause your state’s deadline, so ask a lawyer promptly if you are considering a claim.
Talking to a lawyer
Mass tort lawyers usually work on contingency, meaning they are paid a percentage of any recovery. Ask how the fee is calculated, which costs you could owe, whether your case would be filed in the MDL or in state court, and who will handle it day to day. SettlementLift is not a law firm and does not take or refer these cases.
ABA: Questions to ask a lawyer ↗Frequently asked questions
Is there a paraquat settlement?
A global settlement was reported in 2025, with confidential terms. Whether and how it applies depends on each claim.
Can I file if I used paraquat years ago?
Possibly. Deadlines usually run from the diagnosis or from when you connected it to paraquat, so ask a lawyer to review your dates.