A federal judge has ordered depositions and subpoenas after growing concern that “a significant number of plaintiffs” in the paraquat multidistrict litigation do not “plausibly allege exposure” to the herbicide.
Judge Nancy Rosenstengel, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, is overseeing more than 5,200 lawsuits alleging paraquat causes Parkinson’s disease. Last year, the judge began issuing orders to obtain more information about the cases after plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed lawsuits selected for discovery for bellwether purposes.
Judge Nancy Rosenstengel, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. Credit: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM