December 12, 2014 — Federal judges have ordered the centralization of lawsuits involving economic losses from Syngenta AG’s genetically-modified (GMO) corn seed.
The seed was banned by China last year, resulting in a sharp drop in corn prices and billions in losses for American farmers.
The Judicial Panel on Multi-district Litigation (JPML) issued a transfer order (PDF) for nine lawsuits pending in eight district courts.
They will be centralized in a Multi-District Litigation (MDL No. 2591) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, overseen by Judge John W. Lungstrum. This “readily accessible” court was chosen because one lawsuit and three possible tag-along actions are already pending in Kansas.
Members of the litigation accuse Syngenta of improperly marketing GMO corn seed to American farmers before they were sure it could be exported to China, the third-largest buyer of corn seed from the United States.
Only about 3% of corn acres were planted with Syngenta’s insect-resistant corn, but much of the country’s crops were contaminated due to cross-pollination on adjacent fields, shared storage on grain elevators, and shared transport on trucks and trains.
The JPML decided that centralization was appropriate because all of the lawsuits involve similar allegations and factual questions. The MDL is designed to reduce the risk of duplicative discovery, conflicting pre-trial rulings in different courts, and serve the convenience of parties and witnesses.
Do I have a Syngenta Corn Seed Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting corn seed economic loss cases in all 50 states. If you are a corn farmer or exporter who lost money due to Syngenta GMO corn seed, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Class Action Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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