Pesticide Lawsuits

The following companies have been named as defendants in pesticide lawsuits:

• Bayer: Bayer (and various subsidiary companies) currently manufactures Roundup.
• Chevron: Chevron previously manufactured and distributed paraquat products.
• AMVAC Chemical Corporation: AMVAC manufactured Dacthal. AMVAC is a subsidiary of American Vanguard Corporation.
• FMC Corporation: FMC Corporation distributed Syngenta’s paraquat products.
• Monsanto: Monsanto originally manufactured Roundup products. Bayer bought Monsanto in 2018 and is now responsible for its liabilities.
• Syngenta: Syngenta manufactures various paraquat products.

People who have been harmed by these products may be able to file a pesticide lawsuit against the responsible companies.

Are pesticides and herbicides toxic?

Many plaintiffs argue Dacthal, Roundup (including the main ingredient glyphosate) and paraquat are all dangerous. 

Exposure to these herbicides may lead to long and short-term health effects. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), even a small amount of ingested paraquat can cause death.

Monsanto introduced Roundup to the market in 1974. Monsanto marketed the product as a “safe” general-purpose herbicide for commercial and consumer crops. Bayer bought Monsanto in 2018.

The first Roundup lawsuits for non-Hodgkin lymphoma were filed in 2016, and some of the early lawsuits have been resolved. One plaintiff was awarded $289 million, but Monsanto and Bayer have appealed several times. That plaintiff is still waiting for final decisions. Another plaintiff received a total of $25 million. Motley Rice was not involved in these recoveries.

Since then, thousands of lawsuits have been filed. Most of the Roundup cases filed in federal court have been consolidated into a one docket called a multidistrict litigation (MDL). As of November 2024, 4,355 total actions were pending in the Roundup MDL, but this number only represents legal actions filed in the MDL. There are thousands of cases pending in other state court jurisdictions.

Bayer’s Half-Year Financial Report 2024 shows that Monsanto has settled or resolved approximately 114,000 Roundup-related claims.

Even with the thousands of claims concerning the dangers of the product, Roundup remains legal and on the market. However, in 2023, Bayer announced it would transition to some new formulations of Roundup with different active ingredients. Most formulations used for commercial purposes will remain the same.

Several countries around the world have instituted various bans on the weedkiller.  

These countries include: 

• Argentina
• Austria
• Bahrain
• Belgium
• Bermuda
• Brazil
• Canada
• China
• Colombia
• Fiji
• France
• Germany
• Korea
• Kuwait
• Luxembourg
• The Netherlands
• Oman
• Portugal
• Punjab
• India
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• Slovenia
• Sri Lanka
• United Arab Emirates
• Vietnam

You can contact an attorney with experience handling Roundup legal actions to answer your questions, help determine your eligibility for a claim, gather Roundup proof and potentially file your case.

Learn more about Roundup lawsuits.

Roundup harms

Many complaints allege Monsanto has consistently denied or ignored concerns about the dangers of Roundup, including, but not limited to glyphosate. Several parties have studied the harmful effects of glyphosate, including:

• In the early 2000s, scientists began to publicize research on glyphosate’s endocrine-disrupting effects. Endocrine disruptors refer to chemicals that interfere with natural hormone production. A French scientist noted that Roundup “is proven to cause cancer” and “is an endocrine disruptor.” Other researchers also linked glyphosate to leukemia and lymphoma.
• In 1995, according to the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, glyphosate was the third most commonly reported cause of pesticide illness among agricultural workers in California.
• In the late 1990s, Monsanto hired genotoxicity expert Dr. James Parry to review several scientific papers on the effects of both glyphosate and Roundup. Chemicals are considered genotoxic when they have the ability to damage genetic information within cells. This can lead to mutations and glyphosate cancers. Parry concluded that glyphosate was capable of producing genotoxicity and recommended additional studies. Monsanto severed ties with Parry and did not conduct the requested studies. 

Roundup exposure may lead to immediate poisoning symptoms or to longer-term effects. Roundup lawsuits most commonly involve people who have developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma after Roundup use and exposure.

Roundup pesticide lawsuit updates

Plaintiffs have won many suits and settlements against pesticide manufacturers Monsanto and Bayer. The following were not Motley Rice cases:

• 2024: A Philadelphia jury awarded a $2.25 billion verdict in favor of a plaintiff diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphomaafter using the weedkiller for two decades.
• 2023: Plaintiffs were awarded millions of dollars in 2023. For example, one plaintiff was awarded $1.25 million in compensatory damages, another won $25 million in compensatory damages with $150 million in punitive damages, and another won $332 million in damages.
• 2019: Two big wins for plaintiffs included a $2.055 billion recovery and an $86.7 million recovery.

Roundup attorneys can help you determine if you may be eligible to file a claim and potentially receive a Roundup settlement or verdict.

Paraquat is a toxic chemical widely used as an herbicide primarily for weed and grass control. Introduced in the United States in 1961, it is available mostly as a liquid in various strengths. The EPA classifies paraquat as a “restricted use” product. Paraquat is used in several products manufactured by Syngenta.

Because it is highly poisonous, it is often dyed blue and has a sharp odor to keep it from being confused with other liquids. It also has an added agent to induce vomiting in case someone accidentally drinks it.

While paraquat is still legal in the United States, thousands of lawsuits have been filed concerning related harms. The lawsuits typically revolve around paraquat and its alleged link with Parkinson’s disease.

Learn more about paraquat lawsuits.

Paraquat harms

Ingestion and inhalation of and possibly skin exposure to paraquat can lead to some serious health effects. Some of the symptoms of paraquat poisoning include:

• Immediate symptoms of paraquat ingestion: Pain and swelling of the mouth, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea (which may become bloody), dehydration, sodium and potassium reduction and low blood pressure.
• Effects of small to medium amounts ingested: Within several days to several weeks, heart failure, kidney failure, liver failure and lung scarring will occur.
• Effects of large amounts ingested: Within a few hours to a few days, acute kidney failure, confusion, coma, fast heart rate, heart injury, liver failure, lung scarring, muscle weakness, fluid in the lungs, respiratory failure, seizures and death.
• Long-term health effects: Long-term exposure to paraquat is linked to Parkinson’s Disease and related neurological issues.

If you or a loved one experiences any or all of these symptoms, please seek medical care.

Paraquat pesticide lawsuit updates

There are many legal actions involving paraquat. They include state litigations and a federal MDL. Plaintiffs have filed thousands of lawsuits in the federal MDL. 

Paraquat cases have been filed in Pennsylvania and Delaware state courts. Hundreds of individual paraquat lawsuits have been filed in Pennsylvania state court, with the first trial to begin in April 2025. Motley Rice attorney Fidelma Fitzpatrick is co-lead counsel and a member of the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee for the Pennsylvania mass tort. Motley Rice attorney Mike Daly is Liaison Counsel for the Pennsylvania mass tort.

Paraquat litigation is in early stages. However, Syngenta’s financial records show some payouts related to paraquat have already happened. The company’s 2022 Financial Report shows a $187.5 million settlement in 2021.

Dacthal, also known as dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate or DCPA, is a popular herbicide. It’s often used to control broad-leaf weeds in turf lawns or agricultural crops. 

In August 2024, the EPA ordered farms, nurseries, gardeners and landscapers to immediately stop using Dacthal. The EPA is concerned the weedkiller may cause birth defects. 

Alongside the Dacthal recall, the EPA also alleged that: 

• AMVAC didn’t provide sufficient documentation about how DCPA affects thyroid development in children and adults. 
• AMVAC delayed the submission of essential data for nearly 10 years.

People are filing lawsuits for Dacthal exposure in light of evidence linking DCPA exposure to birth defects in children whose mothers were exposed to the herbicide. 

Dacthal harms

EPA officials are concerned that DCPA exposure can lead to birth defects, including: 

• Decreased IQ
• Impaired brain development
• Impaired motor skills
• Low birth weight

These conditions may be irreversible. 

Please seek help from medical professionals if you or a loved one experience symptoms of Dacthal exposure. 

Our attorneys’ experience in litigating toxic exposure for individuals, families, communities, and states is vast. We seek justice for our clients and strive to improve environmental standards and protections through our cases against pesticide manufacturers.

Our experience includes representing individuals who have been exposed to toxic substances, such as:

• Asbestos: Motley Rice has been involved in asbestos litigation for decades, advocating for workers and consumers suffering from health effects related to asbestos exposure.
• Contaminated water: Motley Rice lawyers represent those impacted by contaminated water at Camp Lejeune military base, including veterans, their families, those who worked on the base and community members who live in contaminated areas outside the base. 
• Lead: Our firm  represents individuals harmed by lead as well as cities, counties, and states, like the 10 California cities and counties that alleged three lead pigment companies created a public nuisance by exposing residents to toxic lead paint.
• PFAS: Motley Rice represents individuals and communities impacted by exposure to “forever chemicals.” We currently represent the country’s largest fire fighter union (IAFF) in their lawsuit that seeks to remove PFAS from fire fighting gear. We represent many water service providers that seek to remove PFAS from their systems and drinking water in federal multidistrict litigation. We also represent fire fighters made sick by firefighting foam (AFFF) in the same MDL.

Read more about our toxic exposure experience.