Experienced Trial Attorneys
Learn the truth here. Discovered in the 1970s, Glyphosate was a chemical compound that became notorious for being a “non-selective herbicide,” meaning it would destroy all plants that it came into contact with. Realizing the potential of the chemical compound, Monsanto, an American agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation, started manufacturing Roundup, a weed-killing product containing Glyphosate.
When the company started manufacturing Roundup, it also started marketing genetically modified seeds that could resist Glyphosate. Consumers could now use Roundup to kill weeds and other invasive vegetation without destroying crops or plants. In 1996, Roundup sales took off.
However, Monsanto’s journey with their star product Roundup wasn’t smooth. For decades, pesticides and herbicides use faced constant scrutiny over their safety. A big blow for the agriculture industry came when World Health Organization added Glyphosate to its list of “potentially carcinogenic” chemicals in 2015.
In 2018, Bayer, a German pharmaceutical Goliath, acquired Monsanto for $63 billion after a tough buyout battle and intense anti-trust scrutiny. All the legal issues the company faced over the past few years came with the purchase of Monsanto. When Bayer completed the buyout, thousands of lawsuits were filed in courts nationwide, linking Roundup to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Ehline Law Firm and our California trial attorneys have extensive experience pursuing personal injury lawsuits against negligent companies. If you’re suffering from Roundup-related illness, you may qualify for compensation. Contact us now for a free consultation on your case.
Roundup Cancer Lawsuits Go to Trial
In 2018, Bayer would see the first of many lawsuits headed for trial. Let’s go over some of the major ones.
In 2018, a 46-year-old groundskeeper, Dewayne Johnson, filed a Roundup lawsuit against Bayer, stating that he suffered from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The jury did not find any relationship between the product and the disease. Instead, it held Bayer/Monsanto responsible for not warning its customers about the risk that Roundup could cause cancer. The court awarded the plaintiff $289 million in damages, later reduced to $20.5 million after Bayer appealed twice.
In May 2019, a couple filed a lawsuit in California Supreme Court alleging that they developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after using Roundup for more than 30 years. At the end of the Roundup litigation, the jury agreed in favor of the husband and wife. The court awarded the couple $55 million in damages and asked Bayer to pay $2 billion in punitive damages. After Bayer’s appeal and contesting the punitive damage in the Federal appeals court, the massive award was later reduced to $86.7 million.
In May 2019, a homeowner filed a Roundup weed killer lawsuit claiming that his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma was due to 25 years of Roundup exposure. The jury agreed, and the Roundup verdict stood at $80 million, while the court awarded Bayer an additional $75 million in punitive damages, later reduced to $20 million.
The largest Roundup class action lawsuit is ongoing in California district court. The status conference for the ongoing roundup litigation will be on the 7th of September, 2022.
Is There a Relationship Between Roundup Use and Cancer?
There is no scientific consensus that the use of Roundup causes cancer in humans. After losing the three most significant Roundup weed killer lawsuits, Bayer went on to win two consecutive Monsanto Roundup lawsuits. In October 2021, Bayer was again in court against a family claiming that using Roundup resulted in their child Burkitt’s lymphoma. However, the jury did not agree with those claims stating that the household use of Roundup was not a substantial cause. In November 2021, Bayer won another lawsuit.
Where Bayer is losing cases, it is also winning. But the question remains, does Roundup cause cancer?
In 2017, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared Glyphosate a noncarcinogen, meaning it’s not likely to cause cancer. In 2019, EPA reiterated its stand on Glyphosate, stating that it is not likely a carcinogen. The EPA also disagreed with the 2015 World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research (IARC) on Cancer report that found Glyphosate as a “probable human carcinogen.”
However, many studies support the 2015 IARC report, establishing a clear link between Glyphosate and cancer. In 2019, the University of Washington conducted research that revealed a 41% increase in cancer risk among people exposed to Glyphosate.
Common Symptoms of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Some of the most common symptoms of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma include:
- Swelling of the lymph nodes without pain
- Swelling or pain in the abdomen
- Vomiting blood
- Bone pain
- Inability to pass urine
- Headaches
- Balance problems
- Fatigue, and more.
Should You File a Roundup Lawsuit Against Bayer?
To have a valid roundup cancer lawsuit, you must prove measurable harm resulting from using the product. You need to show that you’re diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Most roundup lawsuits revolve around product liability, and in many cases, Bayer requested the Supreme Court to dismiss any roundup lawsuit that alleges that the product causes cancer. However, the court denied these requests.
There is a significant theme for the Roundup lawsuits that go to trial. In three of the major Roundup lawsuits in history, the jury did not find any relationship between the plaintiff’s cancer and the use of Roundup. But, they held Bayer/Monsanto responsible for failing to warn consumers of the risks. Although the bombardment of litigations negatively affected the company’s reputation, Bayer could move past that by offering a global Roundup settlement. In June 2020, a collection of lawsuits reached $10.9 billion in Roundup settlement, with $1.25 billion kept aside for future roundup lawsuits. According to the New York Times, future plaintiffs, depending on their case, can receive between $5,000 to $200,000. Many plaintiffs will receive their roundup settlement money this year.
If you’re experiencing health problems and believe it could be linked to glyphosate products like Roundup, contact us at (833) LETS-SUE for a free consultation with our experienced Roundup lawyers. You need our strong attorney-client relationship to help you recover compensation and move on with your life.
For more information on the Round Up cancer lawsuit, contact our Roundup lawyer now.
