With money-hungry attorneys filing herbicide lawsuits, a “Don’t Miss Out on This Paid Consulting Opportunity” note started showing up in our emails a few weeks ago. The note from the Expert Institute says lawyers are seeking expert witnesses in multi-plaintiff paraquat cases that include FMC, Syngenta Crop Protection and Chevron U.S.A. Here’s part of the message…

I’m working with an attorney to locate an expert for a case review on the history of herbicide use. This case involves multiple plaintiffs, primarily farmers, who were exposed to paraquat on and around June 13, 2018, that allegedly led to Parkinson’s disease.

The email, which we assume was e-blasted to numerous people close to the action over the past 5 decades, asked these questions:

• What is your professional experience with and knowledge of paraquat exposure?
•  What science and testing was used to determine the risks of paraquat exposure and product development?
• If retained, are you able to review 500 pages of records and provide a written report within 4 months?
• With the potential for earning millions of dollars when it comes to these paraquat cases, this opportunity brings “name your own rate earning potential.”

In other words, these 4 questions amount to Fire, Ready, Aim. The lawyers appear willing to sign up anybody with a pulse to be an “expert witness.”

Herbicide Hustlers?

With this idiotic and aggressive legal stirring, it’s no wonder the U.S. has an endless number of backed up court cases, while glyphosate and dicamba manufacturers are held hostage in multi-million-dollar settlements.

In the latest report from an ongoing routine 15-year review, EPA has not found any scientific link between paraquat and Parkinson’s disease. The herbicide that pioneered the no-till movement back in the 1960s is still relied on for fast burndown of existing weeds, to control troublesome marestail and to interrupt the continuous glyphosate cycle.

Mass litigation law firms continue to flood TV and the internet to flush out personal-injury and product-liability clients. The Wall Street Journal recently pointed out that nearly 800,000 mass litigation TV ads ran in 2023 at a cost of $160 million. No wonder we’re being peppered with “name your own rate” messages — someone has to pay the lawyers.

Grabbing 40%

Third-party investors are also funding mass herbicide litigation cases with up to $100 million per law firm, with prospective 20% returns from lawyers pocketing up to 40% of final settlements.

By the way, we continue to leave such expert witness offers with the respect they deserve — silence.