Statute of Limitations
2-year statute of limitations for personal injury with discovery rule. California’s Proposition 65 requires warnings for chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive harm. CLRA and UCL provide additional consumer protection causes of action.
2028-06-30
Where to File in California
California paraquat cases can be filed in the superior court of the county where the plaintiff resides or where exposure occurred. Fresno County, Kern County, and other Central Valley counties are primary venues given the concentration of agricultural operations and farmworker populations. Federal claims are coordinated through MDL 3004 in S.D. Illinois. California’s strong discovery rules and broad document production requirements benefit plaintiffs.
Exposure in California
Source: USDA ERS
Source: California NAWS
Source: CA Dept of Pesticide Regulation
Your Legal Team
Maria Gonzalez
Senior Associate — Environmental & Farmworker Advocacy
Fresno, CA
Maria Gonzalez combines 14 years of environmental and toxic tort litigation experience with deep connections to California’s agricultural communities. Fluent in Spanish, she has dedicated her career to representing farmworkers and rural residents harmed by pesticide exposure — a population that faces significant barriers to legal access due to language, immigration status concerns, and economic vulnerability. Maria’s practice in Fresno places her in the heart of California’s Central Valley, the most intensive agricultural region in the United States and a major area of paraquat use. She has represented farmworker families in pesticide exposure cases for over a decade and has been instrumental in connecting Spanish-speaking paraquat plaintiffs with the MDL proceedings. Her work has been recognized by the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation.
Education
- J.D., UCLA School of Law
- B.A., Environmental Studies, UC Santa Cruz