Paraquat Bellwether Trials Set for October 2025, April 2026
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The judge overseeing the thousands of pending paraquat lawsuits in multidistrict litigation has set bellwether trial dates. This marks a key milestone in the ongoing litigation.
The first trial is set for Oct. 14 this year, with the second trial scheduled for April 2026.
Bellwether trials can play a major role in litigation where plaintiffs have filed thousands of similar lawsuits. They serve as test cases, allowing both sides to better understand which direction the litigation is trending.
Victories for plaintiffs may encourage a settlement from the defendants, while victories for the defendants may encourage them to continue trying individual cases they believe they can win.
Paraquat lawsuits, which claim that the herbicide is tied to the development of Parkinson’s disease, have been moving through the legal process for several years. The bellwether trial dates were set after Judge Nancy Rosenstengel ordered case-specific discovery for six cases. These cases were selected from a larger group.
There are currently over 5,800 paraquat lawsuits pending in federal court.
Political Pressure Mounts for Ban of Highly Toxic Paraquat
Paraquat continues to be used in the U.S. despite both serious health concerns tied to the herbicide and its known toxicity.
A 2011 study found that pesticides like paraquat may play a role in the development of Parkinson’s. Multiple studies in recent years have come to similar conclusions.
The pesticide is also highly toxic. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, ingesting even a tiny amount of the herbicide can be fatal.
Paraquat is already banned in dozens of countries across the globe. According to the National Institute of Health, the European Union removed it from its markets due to high toxicity nearly 20 years ago.
Momentum is growing for a similar ban in the U.S. In October, over 40 Congress members signed a letter calling for the EPA to ban the herbicide. Later that month, seven U.S. senators sent a similar letter to the agency urging paraquat’s banning.
“Paraquat has been linked to Parkinson’s disease, thyroid cancer, and other health harms,” the letter stated. “… We urge you to protect the health of farmworkers and rural residents by banning paraquat.”
Editor Lindsay Donaldson contributed to this article.
