Pesticides Lawsuit | 2026 Latest Updates

Roundup, an herbicide made with glyphosate, and paraquat, a separate herbicide, are each the subject of active federal lawsuits. The suits say the makers failed to warn that exposure to either herbicide is linked to a serious disease. Roundup exposure is linked in the lawsuits to non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A proposed nationwide class settlement, given preliminary approval in March 2026, is moving forward. A June 2026 Supreme Court ruling separately narrowed the claims that remain. Parkinson’s disease is the harm alleged from paraquat use in these suits. Paraquat claims remain grouped in a federal court in southern Illinois. Settlement talks are ongoing, but no nationwide deal has been announced yet.

Latest Pesticides Lawsuit Updates

June 25, 2026: Supreme Court Limits Roundup Warning Claims

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in Monsanto Co. v. Durnell [1]. It held that a federal pesticide law bars state lawsuits over Roundup’s warning label. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote the majority opinion. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, joined by Justice Neil Gorsuch. The ruling blocks most pending and future Roundup claims that rely on a missing warning label.

March 4, 2026: Missouri Court Approves Roundup Settlement Terms

A Missouri state court granted preliminary approval of Monsanto’s proposed $7.25 billion nationwide Roundup class settlement [2]. The settlement will pay class members over as long as 21 years. The deal covers people with a non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis tied to Roundup exposure before February 17, 2026. A final fairness hearing was set for July 9, 2026, after a class-member opt-out period.

February 17, 2026: Monsanto Proposes $7.25 Billion Roundup Settlement

Monsanto, a Bayer company, announced a proposed $7.25 billion nationwide class settlement [3]. It aims to resolve current and future Roundup claims that allege non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The company called it part of a plan to contain the litigation. The new plan replaced a smaller, four-year class settlement that Monsanto had tried in 2020. It extends payments to as long as 21 years and adds a professional claims administrator.

June 6, 2025: EPA Settles with Stepan Co. over Mislabeled Pesticide

The EPA‘s Region 5 office announced a $1,126,404 settlement with Stepan Co. of Northbrook, Illinois [4]. The agency had alleged the firm sold a misbranded disinfectant pesticide. The mislabeled product was sold 303 times without the label’s required directions for use. The case is one example of EPA enforcement against pesticide labels, separate from the Roundup and paraquat lawsuits.

May 5, 2025: Advocacy Groups Oppose Pesticide Lawsuit-Immunity Bills

Beyond Pesticides reported that advocacy groups urged states to reject chemical-industry immunity bills [5]. Such bills would block failure-to-warn lawsuits. North Dakota had become the first state to pass one, on April 24, 2025. Bayer backed the push through an industry coalition. Failure-to-warn claims like these are the basis of most pesticide injury lawsuits. That includes the Roundup and paraquat cases above.

June 7, 2021: Paraquat Cases Consolidated into Federal MDL

The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred paraquat injury lawsuits to the Southern District of Illinois [6]. This created MDL No. 3004, In re: Paraquat Products Liability Litigation, against Syngenta. The panel’s transfer order covered only fourteen actions across six districts, along with 77 potentially related matters, at the time. Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel has led the litigation ever since, ahead of any trial or settlement.

What Are Pesticides?

The EPA defines a pesticide as any substance meant to prevent, destroy, repel, or reduce a pest [7]. This also covers plant regulators, defoliants, and desiccants. Roundup and paraquat are both herbicides, a type of pesticide. Roundup’s active ingredient is glyphosate, widely used in farming and home gardening. Paraquat is a fast-acting, highly toxic herbicide sold only to certified applicators. Both have drawn lawsuits over alleged health risks, covered below.

Who May Be Affected?

Farmworkers, licensed pesticide applicators, and other agricultural workers are among the circumstances in the Roundup litigation. This applies to workers who mixed, loaded, or applied Roundup and were later diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It also applies to heavily exposed home and commercial users. People who applied paraquat-based herbicides on the job are among the circumstances in the paraquat litigation. Many were later diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Paraquat’s certified-applicator-only status, noted above, is one reason these circumstances center on occupational exposure. Only an individual legal review can determine whether a case qualifies. More detail on the Roundup claims is on our Roundup lawsuit page.

Reported Injuries or Damages

The Roundup litigation alleges glyphosate exposure causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Bayer says plaintiffs rely on a decade-old finding by the International Agency for Research on Cancer [8]. The company says every other regulator has disagreed with that finding. The paraquat litigation alleges that Syngenta failed to warn that paraquat exposure causes Parkinson’s disease. A 2020 update to a federal farmworker health study found no association between paraquat exposure and Parkinson’s disease [9]. The same EPA review has not identified a clear connection between labeled paraquat use and Parkinson’s disease or cancer more broadly. The same EPA page warns that paraquat is highly toxic: a small sip can be fatal and there is no antidote. That toxicity, like the certified-applicator rule noted above, reflects paraquat’s danger.

Evidence to Preserve

Anyone considering a Roundup or paraquat injury claim should try to locate and preserve the following records and materials, when available:

• The original product container, packaging, and any warning labels from the herbicide that was used
• Purchase receipts, invoices, or delivery records showing when, where, and how much of the product was bought or applied
• Employment and occupational-exposure records, including pesticide applicator certification, training records, and spray or application logs
• Medical records documenting the diagnosis, treatment, and dates of care for non-Hodgkin lymphoma or Parkinson’s disease
• Any correspondence with an employer, supplier, or co-worker about pesticide use, safety training, or exposure incidents

Filing Deadlines

Every state sets its own deadline, called a statute of limitations, for filing a pesticide injury lawsuit. Missing that deadline can end a claim even when the facts are strong. How much time a person has depends on where they live and when the exposure, illness, or diagnosis occurred. Some states measure the deadline from the date of diagnosis instead of the date of exposure. Anyone weighing a Roundup or paraquat claim should speak with a lawyer promptly. A lawyer can explain which deadline applies to their situation.

Potential Compensation

Some people pursue compensation for medical costs, lost income, and pain and suffering. This can include people who develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma after Roundup exposure or Parkinson’s disease after paraquat exposure. Monsanto’s proposed nationwide Roundup class settlement, described in the updates above, received preliminary court approval in Missouri on March 4, 2026. It covers non-Hodgkin lymphoma claims diagnosed before February 17, 2026. Compensation amounts vary by case. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. A lawyer can explain how state law affects any potential compensation claim.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Is the Roundup Settlement Worth?

The Roundup settlement is worth up to $7.25 billion. It will be paid out over as many as 21 years in declining, capped amounts, and Bayer is financing the near-term cost in part through an $8 billion bank loan facility.

Did the Supreme Court’s Ruling End All Roundup Lawsuits?

No, the ruling did not end all Roundup lawsuits. It blocks failure-to-warn claims based on the product label. It does not touch the proposed class settlement or claims based on other legal theories. Dissenting Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said the majority misread the law.

What Is the Paraquat Lawsuit About?

The paraquat lawsuit is a federal multidistrict litigation. It alleges that paraquat use is linked to Parkinson’s disease. The motion that first created it covered just 14 actions in 6 districts, plus 77 potentially related cases. That is a small fraction of the litigation’s current size.

Is Roundup Still Legal to Use?

Yes, Roundup is still legal to use. Glyphosate, its active ingredient, was first registered by the EPA in 1974. It remains registered today for many farm and home uses, even as the separate lawsuits over past warnings continue in court.

Has Paraquat Been Banned in the U.S.?

No, paraquat has not been banned in the U.S. It remains restricted to certified applicators, as noted above. The EPA keeps reviewing paraquat: in 2025 it studied new data showing higher volatility than previously assessed and plans to require makers to submit more information.

What Does the Research Say About Paraquat and Parkinson’s Disease?

Research on paraquat and Parkinson’s disease is mixed. A 2011 Agricultural Health Study finding suggested a possible link. A 2020 update to that same study did not repeat the result. The EPA also says it has not found a clear link from labeled paraquat use.

References

1. https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-1068_n7ip.pdf
2. https://www.bayer.com/media/en-us/missouri-court-grants-preliminary-approval-of-roundup-class-settlement-to-resolve-current-and-future-claims/
3. https://www.bayer.com/media/en-us/monsanto-announces-roundup-class-settlement-agreement-to-resolve-current-and-future-claims/
4. https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-reaches-more-11-million-settlement-stepan-co-northbrook-illinois-allegedly
5. https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2025/05/groups-ask-states-to-reject-immunity-from-lawsuits-when-chemical-companies-fail-to-warn-of-product-hazards/
6. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-jpml-1_21-F-03004/pdf/USCOURTS-jpml-1_21-F-03004-0.pdf
7. https://www.epa.gov/minimum-risk-pesticides/what-pesticide
8. https://www.bayer.com/media/en-us/monsanto-wins-landmark-roundup-case-at-us-supreme-court/
9. https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/paraquat-dichloride