https://www.lezdotechmed.com/blog/mass-tort/Paraquat-lawsuits-updates/
Since the COVID pandemic has subsided, numerous product liability lawsuits involving opioids, ParaGard IUDs, IVC filters, 3M earplugs, AFFF foam, Elmiron, and other products are currently underway in all US courts. Attorneys, plaintiffs, and defendants are all awaiting the results of their individual lawsuits with bated breath. Plaintiffs in the pesticide litigation involving Paraquat, Roundup, and dicamba are eagerly expecting a settlement report in 2022. In contrast to Paraquat, which causes Parkinson's disease and is the subject of multiple herbicide lawsuits, Roundup causes non-lymphoma Hodgkin's (a form of cancer).
It is currently one of the most extensively used herbicides. The Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) started producing and marketing Paraquat under the brand name Gramoxone in early 1962. Don't assume that the only brand that contains Paraquat is Gramoxone. There are also additional brands on the market that contain Paraquat, including Crisquat, Firestorm, Quick-Quat, Para-Shot 3.0, Helmquat 3SL, and Cyclone SL 2.0.
Humans are extremely poisonous to paraquat. Accidental intake or inhalation would be extremely risky. Paraquat is prohibited in more than 50 countries, including the European Union, China, Thailand, and the United Kingdom.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has disregarded probable connections between Paraquat and Parkinson's disease despite international bans and mounting health concerns. In preliminary research on Paraquat published not 2019, the EPA determined that there is "insufficient evidence" to link the use of Paraquat products to concerns about human health. Only licenced pesticide applicators are permitted to use Paraquat in the United States, according to the EPA.
The following side effects from short-term exposure to paraquat include coma, confusion, rapid heartbeat, fluid buildup in the lungs, digestive problems like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea, heart attack, renal failure, liver failure, scarring in the lungs, muscle tremor, respiration difficulty, seizures, and swelling. Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative brain ailment that impairs the ability of the central nervous system to control movement, is also a result of it. This can lead to tremors, sluggish movement, a frozen gait, slurred speech, impaired balance, muscle spasms, and hunched posture.
The following side effects from short-term exposure to paraquat include coma, confusion, rapid heartbeat, fluid buildup in the lungs, digestive problems like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea, heart attack, renal failure, liver failure, scarring in the lungs, muscle tremor, respiration difficulty, seizures, and swelling. Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative brain ailment that impairs the ability of the central nervous system to control movement, is also a result of it. This can lead to tremors, sluggish movement, a frozen gait, slurred speech, impaired balance, muscle spasms, and hunched posture.
Six cases were chosen from the 16 total cases to represent the first round of bellwether trials on Paraquat lawsuits. On November 15, 2022, the first trial is expected to get underway. On March 13, June 12, and September 18, 2023, the additional trials would take place. On October 27, 2022, the last pretrial conference is expected to take place. It has been decided to extend the deadline for finishing fact-finding and medical exams in the six bellwether trial cases to July 25, 2022. It is hoped that the bellwether trials will be able to subdue the powerful pesticide companies and push them toward a global settlement to allay the plaintiffs' concerns.
