Roundup is one of the most popular weed killers in the world. Monsanto made sure of that by creating “Roundup Ready’ seeds which depend on its use to thrive. Its primary ingredient is glyphosate, known to cause DNA and chromosomal damage in human cells, and listed as a possible carcinogen by the World Health Organization (WHO). Roundup has been used at every level from hobby gardening to large commercial operations, and the people who have used it for years are developing cancer at alarming rates.
There are now more than 11,000 cases pending against Bayer which acquired Monsanto in 2018. If you have developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after years of exposure to Roundup, please talk to an experienced product liability attorney today. You may be able to help hold Monsanto accountable for the harm it has knowingly caused, and you may recover substantial compensation.
Monsanto Knew About the Risk for Decades
The lawsuits are based on failure to warn. Consumers who used Roundup and subsequently developed cancer as a result were robbed of their right to make an informed choice of whether or not to use the product and take the risk because they were told the product was perfectly safe. This was a key element in the case that resulted in an $80 million verdict against Bayer in May 2019.
Internal documents show that Monsanto was aware of the connection between glyphosate and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma for at least 40 years. Monsanto nevertheless chose not to test Roundup to see if it caused cancer and actively worked with the EPA to prevent any additional regulation or testing. Just in the last few weeks, the EPA ruled that Roundup is safe despite numerous studies and evidence to the contrary.
And Monsanto (now Bayer) has continued to claim that the pesticide is perfectly safe and does not cause cancer.
Recently released documents provide further proof that Bayer/Monsanto and the Trump White House conspired to prevent additional regulation.
GMOs Created to Boost Value of Roundup
If you’re not familiar with Monsanto yet, it is the company that made Agent Orange and PCB. Although it started selling glyphosate products in the 1970’s, Roundup did not explode in popularity until the company rolled out its Roundup Ready seeds – genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that are resistant to glyphosate. GMOs created a solution to the ever-challenging problem of weed control by allowing crop growers to indiscriminately spray their crops as long as they used Roundup and its corresponding seeds.
Big Verdicts Included Punitive Damages
In May, 2019, a California jury awarded $80 million to Edwin Hardeman who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in February 2015 after more than 20 years of using Roundup on his 56-acre property.
In 2018, a jury awarded $289 million to Dewayne Johnson, diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at only 42 years old. $250 million of that verdict was in punitive damages awarded by a jury that found that Monsanto acted with malice and oppression. A judge later reduced the award to $78 million to bring the punitive damages within the legal limit of being no more than compensatory damages in that jurisdiction.
If you have been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after Roundup exposure, please talk to an experienced defective product attorney and learn more about your rights and the compensation you deserve.
