"Syngenta is another step closer to potentially putting an end to thousands of lawsuits brought by people blaming the company’s paraquat weed killer for causing Parkinson’s disease.
After signing a preliminary agreement with plaintiffs’ attorneys in April, the company now has in place a signed “Master Settlement Agreement”, according to a recent court filing.
Within 60 to 90 days, the two sides plan to present plaintiffs with a payout schedule showing the range of estimated settlement amounts to be offered. Plaintiffs will then be able to opt in or out of the settlement, Khaldoun Baghdadi, one of the lead attorneys for the plaintiffs, said in a court hearing in Contra Costa County Superior Court on Wednesday.
“There is a budgeting process that is underway. We’re moving as fast as we can,” Baghdadi told the court. “There are several thousand cases at play.”
In response to a question by Judge Edward Weil, Baghdadi acknowledged it is likely not all plaintiffs will agree to the settlement, and will continue to pursue taking their cases to trial."
Advertisement 
