{"id":182999,"date":"2021-04-19T12:00:59","date_gmt":"2021-04-19T11:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=182999"},"modified":"2021-04-15T07:39:19","modified_gmt":"2021-04-15T06:39:19","slug":"lawyers-signal-more-lawsuits-likely-against-syngenta-alleging-paraquat-causes-parkinsons-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2021\/04\/lawyers-signal-more-lawsuits-likely-against-syngenta-alleging-paraquat-causes-parkinsons-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"Lawyers Signal More Lawsuits Likely against Syngenta, Alleging Paraquat Causes Parkinson\u2019s Disease"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A move by lawyers to consolidate at least 14 lawsuits filed by eight different law firms in six different federal courts is a \u201ctelling sign\u201d more lawsuits will be filed against the company over claims its weedkiller, Paraquat, causes Parkinson\u2019s Disease.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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9 Apr 2021 – <\/em>Lawyers suing Swiss chemical company Syngenta<\/a> are asking a U.S. judicial panel to consolidate more than a dozen similar lawsuits under the oversight of a federal judge in California. The move is a telling sign of the expansion of litigation that alleges the company\u2019s weed-killing products cause Parkinson\u2019s Disease<\/a>.<\/p>\n

According to the motion<\/a>, filed April 7 by the Texas-based Fears Nachawati law firm with the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, there are currently at least 14 lawsuits filed by eight different law firms in six different federal courts across the country. The lawsuits are all filed on behalf of plaintiffs who have been diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disorder, and they allege exposure to Syngenta\u2019s weed killers made with a chemical called paraquat for the disease. Several other cases making the same allegations are pending in state courts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cases are excellent candidates for coordinated pretrial proceedings because they arise from the same poisonous toxin causing the same crippling disease resulting from the wrongful conduct of the same three defendants,\u201d the Fears Nachawati brief in support<\/a> of its motion states. \u201cMovant expects that the number of similar cases filed in state and federal courts across the country will expand rapidly.\u201d<\/p>\n

The motion seeks transfer specifically to Judge Edward Chen in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.<\/p>\n

Majed Nachawati, a partner with the Fears Nachawati firm, said the firm was still investigating the size and scope of the overall litigation but believes the paraquat litigation against Syngenta \u201cwill be significant and material in nature \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVery soon, there is going to be litigation in dozens of federal courts across the country,\u201d Nachawati said.<\/p>\n

The plaintiffs\u2019 lawyers will be seeking internal corporate documents as well as depositions of corporate officials related to the \u201ctesting, design, labeling, marketing and safety of paraquat herbicides,\u201d along with corporate research and evaluations of the toxicity and safety of its paraquat products.<\/p>\n

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Internal documents show Syngenta scientists knew they could save lives by making tweaks to paraquat weedkiller, but chose to save money instead. Documents also expose the company\u2019s efforts to cover up evidence that paraquat causes Parkinson\u2019s Disease.https:\/\/t.co\/ZvuAysUMog<\/a><\/p>\n

— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) March 27, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n