The case count in Philadelphia’s mass tort over the weedkiller paraquat has jumped by 45% in the last six months.

Judge Joshua Roberts, who heads the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas’ complex litigation center, said the court has seen a “consistent increase” in lawsuits filed over the herbicide recently, with the mass tort program’s inventory growing from around 500 cases at the start of 2024 to 728 cases as of June 7.