Illinois Injury and Mass Tort Lawyer Blog

Recently, another lawsuit was filed on behalf of a farm worker alleging neurological injuries related to his application of paraquat, an herbicide, to farmlands to desiccate crops prior to planting new ones. Like many other lawsuits related to the herbicide, his complaint alleges failure to warn, design defects, negligence, breach of warranties, and public nuisance. Like many other plaintiffs, his injuries are consistent with Parkinson’s disease. Litigation against manufacturers of Paraquat, such as Syngenta and Growmark, has been ongoing since 2017. In December, Case Management Order 12 was issued for multidistrict litigation in Illinois. If you believe you may have suffered neurological injuries due to Paraquat exposure, you may have a claim for damages. Call the experienced Chicago product liability lawyers of Moll Law Group to discuss your case. Billions have been recovered in lawsuits with which we’ve been involved.

Studies conducted on animals have found that paraquat can do damage to dopaminergic neurons in the brain. It is, in fact, the agent used by scientists to produce Parkinson’s symptoms in animals because it is so effective at creating neurological injuries. Lawsuits are underway in federal courts across the country.

Consult Our Chicago-Based Lawyers About Your Injuries Arising Out of Paraquat

In Illinois, discovery, or the process by which each side gains information about the other side’s arguments and evidence, is now underway in the paraquat multidistrict litigation. Case Management Order 12 specifies that limited fact discovery for certain cases must be complete by March 31, 2022. The limited fact discovery allowed includes written fact sheets, requested documents, and up to 3 depositions per plaintiff. The defendant manufacturers can take depositions of the plaintiff, or a family member of the plaintiff, the plaintiff’s treating doctor, and a fact witness who can attest to the paraquat exposure. In order to get discovery beyond these three depositions, the manufacturer and plaintiff must agree or get the court’s permission.

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You may have used prescription strength Zantac, a heartburn drug, to treat and stop stomach ulcers and address gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). It’s important to be aware, however, that Zantac has been linked to cancer and discontinued. On October 8^th, a federal judge presiding over the Zantac multidistrict litigation ruled that the brand manufacturers of Zantac — GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi, Pfizer, and Boehringer Ingelheim — should face lawsuits by people formerly prescribed the drug. If you were harmed by Zantac, you should call the experienced Chicago product liability lawyers of Moll Law Group. Billions have been recovered in cases with which we’ve been involved around the country.

The court denied requests by manufacturers that it dismiss a class action related to the drug’s marketing and severe health issues. Additionally, however, the court ruled to dismiss all generic manufacturer cases; only cases against brand manufacturers may continue.

Losses from Zantac Use

The Zantac multidistrict litigation was pursued by patients prescribed Zantac who developed cancer and sustained losses as a result. Lawsuits allege that the drug’s active ingredient is an unstable molecule and that the Zantac drug label did not properly warn the public that a risk of cancer existed.

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In the 1960s, Paraquat entered the market as an herbicide. It’s been used to kill weeds and grasses before planting, to control weeds in orchards, and to dry plants prior to harvest. It can be applied with hand-held sprayers, knapsack sprayers, and pressurized tanks drawn by tractors or trucks. Lawsuits allege that there may be a link between the herbicide Paraquat and Parkinson’s disease. In June 2021, all Paraquat lawsuits filed in federal court were consolidated by the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPMDL) under the Honorable Nancy J. Rosenstengel in the District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. If you were injured by the herbicide Paraquat, you should discuss your situation with the experienced Chicago product liability lawyers of Moll Law Group. Billions have been recovered in cases with which we’ve been involved.

Around 300 Paraquat lawsuits are now pending in the multidistrict litigation (MDL). One of the recent complainants is an Illinois man who worked for Therma Gas and Northern Star Minerals for a long period of time and sprayed Paraquat on potato crops being grown on land owned by Northern Star Minerals. In the course of that time, the man was unaware that his many years of Paraquat exposure could give rise to serious health issues. His Parkinson’s disease symptoms began in 2008, but he only realized that Paraquat had been linked to Parkinson’s in or after the summer of 2021.

Paraquat and Parkinson’s Disease

Paraquat is sprayed on around 15 million crops around the country. It is highly toxic and categorized as a restricted use pesticide. Only certified applicators are allowed to use it. Officials have not approved it for use in backyards. Lab studies show that the herbicide has the potential to damage neurons in the brain that are responsible for Parkinson’s. In fact, it is a toxin that is used to create animal models for the disease.

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The 3M lawsuits arising out of defective earplugs worn by servicemembers have been consolidated into the largest multidistrict litigation (MDL) in history. The MDL is larger than the asbestos and talc product cases. In the litigation, United States military veterans and service members have alleged they experienced hearing damage because they used 3M’s Combat Arms earplugs, Version 2 (CAEv2). If you were harmed by defective earplugs, you should give the experienced Chicago-based lawyers of Moll Law Group a call. Billions have been recovered in cases with which we’ve been involved, and we represent clients around the country.

The earplugs at issue were used by many servicemembers deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq between 2001 – 2015. The leading cause of disability among veterans, according to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs is hearing damage. In 2018, 3M paid $9.1 million to settle the United States government’s claim that it concealed defects in the earplugs; however, it didn’t admit it was liable for damages. The multidistrict litigation is presided over by Judge M. Casey Rodgers.

Around 200,000 cases are pending against the manufacturer 3M. Certain lawsuits have been selected for bellwether test trials. In this process, plaintiffs and defendants alternate in selecting specific cases to serve as bellwether cases, with each side trying to put forward cases they respectively believe are strongly in their favor. However, certain cases are chosen for trial by the judge because they don’t overly favor either the plaintiffs or the defendant.

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On November 12, 2021, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated its recall of specific Philips Respironics ventilators, CPAP machines, and BiPAP machines. The recall for certain machines occurred on June 14, 2021. They were found to carry health risks connected to polyester-based polyurethane sound abatement foam that was used in them. The foam can deteriorate, resulting in severe injuries, which can be life threatening and cause permanent disabilities when medical intervention is not provided. If you were harmed by one of the machines in question, you should call the experienced Chicago-based product liability lawyers of the Moll Law Group.

The FDA inspected the Philips Respironics’ manufacturing facility to decide what contributed to the foam concerns. The FDA’s inspections include evidence production and testing, systems intended to make sure the product meets quality standards, review of records, staff training, and operations.

In the course of an inspection, an FDA investigator did observe issues outlined in an inspection closeout report.

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Chicago parents should remain alert to the possibility of furniture tip-overs. Certain dressers are not safe or carry a great hazard of tip-overs. A child can be quickly and silently crushed beneath dressers. Parents or other caregivers may not hear their cries, or they may not even have time to cry before suffering fatal injuries. Recently the Nova Series 5-Drawer Chest, Model B1428-10 was recalled by Magnussen Home Furnishings, Inc. of Riverside. Like many other chests, the recalled ones are unstable when they aren’t anchored to the wall, which means they present tip-over and entrapment hazards that can lead to a child’s serious injuries or even death.

The recalled Nova Series chests of drawers don’t comply with performance requirements set forth by the voluntary industry standard ASTM F2057-19. They are 54-inch brown dressers with walnut veneers. They were made between August 2009 – August 2015. They measure 18 inches deep and 40 inches wide.

You can check your dresser for a label on the back in the top left-hand corner. This label should incorporate both the month and year of manufacture as well as the model number. The recalled units have date codes that represent August 2009 and August 2015: AG09 and AG15.

Last year, a woman who was trying to make beans in a Crock-Pot 6-Quart Express Crock Multi-Cooker pressure cooker was left with second and third-degree burns on her arms, chest, and face. She reported that the way the pressure cooker was sitting, it hit the cupboard and flew across the kitchen. Hot liquid exploded everywhere. The accident happened quickly, so that there was no time to protect herself. She reported that the pain was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. The pressure cooker was later recalled, model number SCCPPC600-V1. At the Moll Law Group, our seasoned Chicago pressure cooker lawyers may be able to help you recover damages in a lawsuit if you are harmed by the explosion of a defective product in the kitchen.

After the explosion, the woman’s mother called 911. Her recovery took more than a year. In that time period, doctors needed to use five square feet of cadaver skin grafts to treat the burned regions.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) explained that a cooker may pressurize when the lid isn’t completely locked. This can result in the lid separating from the device and flying off. When there’s hot liquid inside, it presents a serious burn risk. The CPSC received 119 reports that the lid had detached; these incidents caused 99 burn injuries, ranging in severity to third-degree burns. Disturbingly, customer reviews also specified this issue.

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