As of March 18, 2024, Paraquat litigation remains in limbo as attorneys await Judge Rosenstengel’s Daubert decision, which has been pending for over 26 weeks. The Paraquat multidistrict litigation (MDL) has grown to encompass more than 2,700 lawsuits filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.
Judge Rosenstengel’s meticulous approach aims to sift through the Paraquat lawsuits, particularly focusing on the validity of exposure claims. Unlike Roundup cases, where direct exposure can be more straightforward to establish, Paraquat applicators must hold a specific license to handle the herbicide, making exposure claims more complex.
The judge has expressed particular interest in cases involving “drift,” where individuals allege exposure due to residing or working near areas where Paraquat was applied. These cases present unique challenges in establishing direct exposure, a key distinction in the Paraquat litigation landscape.
The number of Paraquat Parkinson’s disease lawsuits in the Southern District of Illinois has risen to 5,342, underscoring the growing complexity of the Paraquat MDL. While the MDL continues to expand, the absence of a Daubert ruling has led to the indefinite postponement of bellwether trials, further prolonging the resolution of these cases.
