Canadian class action certified against Syngenta AG

Aug 15, 2024

The class action suit against Syngenta is applied on behalf of Canadians diagnosed with Parkinson’s after utilizing Gramoxone products.

By Andrew Joseph, Farms.com; Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay

Siskinds LLP has announced that the Supreme Court of British Columbia has certified a class action against Syngenta AG and certain of its subsidiaries.

The class action arises out of allegations that exposure to herbicides containing the active ingredient paraquat can cause Parkinson's disease. The decision is reported in Gionet v. Syngenta, 2024 BCSC 1440.

The evidence filed by the plaintiffs on the certification application included, among other things, a collection of internal corporate documents dating back decades and expert evidence from internationally renowned experts in neurology and epidemiology.

The Superior Court of Québec has already allowed a parallel class action to proceed on behalf of individuals in that province.

The British Columbia Court defined the class to include individuals in Canada, outside of Québec, who:

have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease after using (i.e., applying, mixing, loading, and/or flagging) Gramoxone products during any time after July 1, 1963; or
are the living spouse, child, grandchild, parent, grandparent, or sibling of a Class Member.

The "Gramoxone Products" are defined to include: (i) Gramoxone Liquid Herbicide with Wetting Agent; (ii) Gramoxone PDQ Liquid non-selective Herbicide; (iii) Sweep No-Till Herbicide; (iv) Gramoxone 200 SL; (v) Paraquat Technical; and (vi) Paraquat Dichloride Manufacturing Concentrate. The registration numbers of these products are 8661, 25448, 15843, 33125, 21247, and 21273, respectively.

Individuals who fall within this class definition, or know someone who does, should email donna.mcevoy@siskinds.com or call 1-800-461-6166.

For those wishing to receive updates on this prospective class action, complete the information form on the Siskinds LLP website at https://www.siskinds.com/class-action/paraquat/ by clicking "Join".

Note that any information provided is held in confidence and that by contacting Siskinds LLP, you are not retaining them, nor do you incur any obligations.

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