Philadelphia paraquat exposure context
Philadelphia-area paraquat exposure most often traces to the Southeastern Pennsylvania agriculture. Paraquat (sold under Gramoxone, Blanco, Parazone, Helmquat, Devour, Firestorm, Para-Shot 30, and Tota-col brand names) was the dominant pre-plant burndown herbicide in U.S. row crop and specialty agriculture for decades. Many workers who later moved to or retired in Philadelphia carry paraquat exposure histories from agricultural employment elsewhere in PA or in other states.
Who in Philadelphia may qualify
- Farmers, hired farmworkers, mixers, loaders, applicators, and crop-dusting pilots with documented paraquat exposure
- Equipment maintenance workers and tank cleanup personnel
- Residents of homes near heavily-treated agricultural fields (residential drift exposure)
- Surviving family members of paraquat-exposed Parkinson's patients (wrongful death and survival claims)
Pennsylvania state court
As a Pennsylvania resident, you have direct access to the Philadelphia mass tort program before Judge Joshua Roberts. The program currently hosts approximately 1,799 active paraquat cases. PA applies a two-year statute of limitations (42 Pa.C.S. § 5524), subject to the discovery rule.
The January 2026 Philadelphia bellwether matters everywhere
The first paraquat bellwether case in the Philadelphia mass tort program settled on the courthouse steps in January 2026 — a decision that effectively re-priced the entire docket and put upward pressure on settlement offers across the U.S. paraquat inventory. Read the bellwether analysis →
What it costs
Nothing upfront. Case work on contingency — typically one-third of recovery — with no fee unless you recover. The free case review takes 15 to 30 minutes by phone.
Related: Do I Qualify? · Litigation Overview · Settlement Amounts