Decades of Concealment, Thousands of Lawsuits and Parkinson’s Victims Still Waiting for Answers
For years, lawsuits over paraquat have been piling up in federal and state courts. People with Parkinson’s disease say Syngenta, the makers of the herbicide, knew about its dangers long before telling the public. Court documents published by The New Lede in September reveal just how much was hidden: Syngenta kept important safety information from federal regulators for decades.
Paraquat is a fast-acting herbicide used on corn, soybean and cotton fields throughout the United States. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), paraquat is so toxic that even a small amount can be deadly if ingested directly. More than 70 countries, including the European Union, China, Canada and Brazil, have banned it. In the U.S., paraquat use nearly tripled from 2000 to 2018.
What Syngenta Knew
The new records show Syngenta had internal data for decades documenting paraquat’s dangers and did not share it with the EPA. Testing from the mid-1980s showed that recommended safety gear offered almost no protection. A 1988 analysis found paraquat in workers’ blood at unexpected levels. By 2007, internal reviews confirmed spray workers were exceeding safe exposure limits and that paraquat could enter and damage brain neurons. In an internal email, one company scientist called the findings “bad news whichever way you look at it.”
Animal studies showing brain cell loss were held back from regulators for about 15 years. Unreported data showing that paraquat became more toxic when mixed with surfactants, as farmers commonly did, dates to the 1970s.
Paraquat Lawsuits Lead Reform
The link between paraquat and Parkinson’s disease is now the focus of more than 6,600 federal lawsuits. These cases are combined in MDL 3004 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, led by Chief Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel. Most plaintiffs are farmworkers, farmers, and others who have been exposed to paraquat at work over a long period. Studies show their risk of developing Parkinson’s disease is significantly elevated compared to people who have not been exposed.
Syngenta is the main company being sued, along with Chevron USA, which sold paraquat in the United States.
Where Things Stand
In May 2025, settlement talks had progressed enough that the court paused the litigation, stopping all trial activity so both sides could work toward a deal. That August, the parties signed a master settlement agreement, which functions like a blueprint for resolving the entire case.
This agreement sets the overall structure and total amount, so the thousands of plaintiffs don’t have to negotiate and litigate separately. In March 2026, a court-supervised fund was created to hold the settlement money while individual payouts are calculated. Claimants do not get checks directly from Syngenta. Instead, the money stays in this fund, managed by a court-appointed administrator, until each person’s share is determined based on factors such as the severity of their illness, their age and how long they were exposed to paraquat.
A Philadelphia bellwether trial scheduled for January 2026 settled before proceeding, and an April 2026 trial date was canceled as negotiations continued. As of October 2026, no final global settlement has been announced and no terms have been made public. New cases are still being filed.
In March 2026, Syngenta announced it would stop making paraquat entirely by June 30, 2026. In August 2026, California completed the removal of all paraquat products after manufacturers decided to pull their products rather than provide the safety data state regulators requested. Vermont completely banned paraquat in May 2026, becoming the first state in the nation to do so. More than a dozen other states have proposed similar legislation.
At the federal level, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a safety review of paraquat in January 2026, but no official decision has been made.
For people who have spent years claiming that Syngenta knew about the risks and hid them, these new court records are important. The lawsuits are still ongoing and it’s not too late to file a claim.
If you or someone you care about developed Parkinson’s disease after being exposed to paraquat, you may still have legal options. Drugwatch can help provide more information about paraquat lawsuits and connect you with an experienced lawyer.