More than 18,000 lawsuits have been filed against Monsanto’s owner, Bayer AG, for the companies’ flagship herbicide product Roundup, which has caused users to develop serious illnesses, like non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL) and other cancers.
Scientists have found that the herbicide’s main ingredient, glyphosate, is probably carcinogenic to humans, causing a marked increased risk of cancer in people who are exposed to the chemical.
If you have developed NHL or another serious illness after using or being exposed to Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer, you should not have to pay the financial costs of your medical treatment or bear the economic weight of income and benefits you will lose from your job as you undergo treatment. The corporations who made and sold this product, fully aware of the health risks it presents, should pay these costs on your behalf. They should—and can—also be held liable for your pain and suffering and other damages.
The Roundup lawsuit attorneys at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can fight to recover the compensation you need and deserve. Call us today at 1-800-747-3733 for a free consultation.
Glyphosate—the Carcinogenic Ingredient in Roundup and Other Herbicides
Glyphosate is the main ingredient in the almost-globally used herbicide Roundup. The chemical is used in both agricultural and non-agricultural applications, for both home and commercial use, and can be applied using ground broadcast sprayers, injection systems, aerial sprays, sponge bars, wiper applicators, controlled droplet applicators, and hooded sprayers.
Within an agricultural setting, Roundup is commonly used to control weeds surrounding a variety of crops, including leafy vegetables, soybean, corn, cereal grains, citrus fruits, sugarcane, legumes, cotton, alfalfa, canola, and many others. Outside of the agricultural industry, the herbicide is used in land conservation, aquatic areas, ranch land, forests, commercial properties, and wildlife management efforts.
The chemical was registered as a pesticide in 1974. Today, it boasts a global production volume greater than any other herbicide. Since the introduction of genetically modified (GMO) crops that have been altered to tolerate glyphosate, the use of Roundup has enjoyed massive growth, as agricultural workers apply the chemical aggressively and in high doses to crops, knowing only the weeds surrounding the crops will be killed.
Studies have shown that agricultural workers are not the only ones who risk being exposed to the weed killer. Product consumers also risk ingesting the herbicide, which has been found in high residual quantities in various produce.
Range of Illnesses Linked to Glyphosate Exposure
While it is most widely associated with NHL, glyphosate also has also been connected with other diseases and illnesses, including:
- Large B-cell lymphoma
- Kidney disease
- Multiple myelomas
- Reproductive problems
- Liver disease
- Leukemia
- Birth defects
A study published in Food Chemistry found that glyphosate also has been found to damage the DNA in the human umbilical cord, placental, and embryonic cells. The chemical may also kill “good” gut bacteria and may be an endocrine disruptor.
Research Connecting Roundup to NHL
Despite Monsanto’s consistent denial of any association between Roundup and lymphoma, reams of research indicate otherwise. A marked deluge of evidence from top health and science organizations weighed in on the issue with vigor in 2019, unleashing a downpour of evidence that causally links lymphoma and glyphosate. The data adds to an already overwhelming body of evidence:
February 2019 – A meta-analysis of glyphosate studies conducted by the University of Washington (UW) illuminated a “compelling link” between glyphosate-based herbicides and NHL. Specifically, the effort revealed a 41 percent increased risk of NHL over the lifetimes of agricultural workers who experienced heavy exposure to glyphosate compared with people who had used the product infrequently or not at all. The study concluded with establishing a correlation between occasional users of glyphosate-based products like Roundup.
January 2019 –Environmental Sciences Europe directly challenged a 2017 analysis by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which classified glyphosate as “not likely to be carcinogenic to humans.”
July 2017 – Glyphosate joins other substances on California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) list of carcinogenic chemicals. Monsanto challenged the chemical being added to this list, but the challenge was unsuccessful.
March 20, 2015 – Glyphosate was identified by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a “probable human carcinogen.” The group decided on this classification after reviewing data related to glyphosate exposure in the U.S., Sweden, and Canada, as well as research conducted on animals, which provided convincing evidence that the chemical caused cancer in the lab animals. IARC also discovered strong indicators that glyphosate is genotoxic, meaning it can change cells’ genetic information, which possibly leads to cancer.
March 20, 2015 – The Environmental Working Group (EWG) urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to establish mandatory requirements for labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMO), based on the World Health Organization’s designation of glyphosate as a possible carcinogen. The EWG argued that the increased use of GMO corn and soybeans had sent glyphosate use skyrocketing and insisted that consumers “have the right to know how their food is grown and whether their food dollars are driving up the use of a probable carcinogen.”
May 23, 2014– IARC scientists published their conclusions from a study of 44 individual research projects in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH), stating that individuals who endured exposure to Roundup’s glyphosate had twice the risk of developing NHL.
June 2014 – Food Chemistry published a study conducted by the Arctic University of Norway, which detected “extreme levels” (9 milligrams per kilogram) of glyphosate/Roundup in GMO soy (Monsanto defined “extreme” levels of the herbicide as being 5.6 milligrams per kilogram of plant weight).
The evidence is clear. Monsanto and Bayer AG must be held accountable for the illness you suffered while they profited. Call the Roundup lawsuit attorneys at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine to fight for your right to compensation: 1-800-747-3733.
High Risk Groups for Roundup-Caused NHL and Cancer
Since Monsanto introduced its Roundup weed killer in 1974, the product has steadily grown in popularity. Today, the herbicide enjoys global use, generously applied in both commercial and home environments. With such a broad base of users, the potential for near epidemic manifestations of NHL and other cancers stands the risk of developing, with the potential to impact such groups as:
- Farmers, especially commercial
- Horticulturists
- Lawn maintenance workers
- Military personnel
- Groundskeepers
- Surveyors
- Landscapers
- Soil scientists
Additional Forms of Roundup Exposure of Concern
Outside the expected applications of Roundup, the herbicide is also used prior to harvests to destroy weeds prior to planting, as well as following harvests. A common treatment since the mid-2000s, “green burndown” aims to expedite harvest operations, which, although effective, leaves a mark of glyphosate residue on the harvested crops.
It is important to keep in mind that the increasing use of Roundup to kill weeds in GMO crops has resulted in “extreme” levels of glyphosate in various GMO produce, thereby exposing masses of consumers to the risk of serious illness via ingestion of the residual chemical.
Manufacturers Knew of Risks and Failed to Warn Consumers
Evidence has surfaced suggesting that Roundup maker Monsanto had knowledge of the fact that exposure to its popular product could lead to cancer. In the interest of keeping the dollars rolling in from sales of its popular weed killer, the company falsified the results of research conducted in the area of Roundup’s dangerous effects.
According to The Gazette, several lawsuits have made this point a central focus at trial, exposing juries to internal company documents that discussed a public relations campaign to undermine media and journalists that sought to publicly expose the carcinogenic nature of the herbicide.
Suing Monsanto and Bayer AG for Your Roundup Illness
Roundup lawsuits against Monsanto and Bayer AG are not class-action lawsuits. When you file a product liability claim against these companies for your non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or other illness, your action will be consolidated with other cases filed by similar plaintiffs in a Multidistrict Litigation (MDL).
With an MDL, all the cases involved in the consolidation enjoy a shared discovery process, which serves to expedite the judicial process. Following the discovery period, juries evaluate cases individually to determine each plaintiff’s recoverable damages, based on their specific illness and other factors.
The biggest benefit, of course, to filing a claim now is that you will be part of a focused effort to hold mega-corporations like Bayer AG accountable for their products and the effects they have on consumers.
Notable Lawsuits Against Monsanto for Roundup-Caused Illnesses
Roundup lawsuits have been making headlines, as jury after jury conclude that Monsanto’s failure to warn the public about the inherent dangers of its product constituted an egregious form of negligence:
May 2019 –The New York Times reports that a California jury awarded over $2 billion to a couple who developed cancer after sustained exposure to Roundup. The husband and wife had used the weed killer for years in treating their home lawn. Lawyers argued that as homeowners, the couple suffered a greater risk of exposure to glyphosate because they had not been warned about wearing gloves or other protective gear.
March 2019 – A California man was awarded more than $80 million in damages when a jury decided that Roundup caused his cancer. The plaintiff had used the herbicide for 25 years to treat overgrowth, weeds, and poison oak on his San Francisco property. The jury found that Monsanto exhibited negligence with its defective weed killer design and failure to warn consumers about the dangers of the product.
June 2018 – A school groundskeeper sued Monsanto and Bayer. The plaintiff’s job involved spraying hundreds of gallons of the company’s herbicide, and the man subsequently developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. A jury awarded the groundskeeper $289 million ($250 million in punitive and $39.25 million compensatory), which a judge later reduced to $78 million. The jury’s decision to award such high punitive damages was largely tied to evidence presented at trial that the herbicide manufacturer suppressed evidence underscoring the risks its product posed to users.
Thousands of other plaintiffs are filing with state and federal courthouses, as additional Roundup victims wait for their turns to recover badly needed and well-deserved compensation from the Roundup manufacturer.
If you wish to recover damages for the illness you suffered because of exposure to Roundup, the Roundup weed killer lawsuit lawyers at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can represent you in this effort. Call us today at 1-800-747-3733.
Recoverable Damages in a Roundup Lawsuit
The damages awarded to a plaintiff in a product liability case such as those that have been filed against Monsanto and Bayer AG depend on several factors specific to the individual. As such, it is impossible to predict the amount you might receive in compensation for your claim. However, some types of damages you may be able to recover include the following:
- Medical costs (doctors’ and surgeons’ fees)
- Hospitalization
- Prescription medicines
- Mobility assistance devices (wheelchairs, scooters, etc.)
- Home modification (ramps, etc.)
- Lost income and wages
- Diminished future potential earnings
- Diminished enjoyment of life
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
If you lost a loved one due to NHL or another illness resulting from their exposure to Roundup, you are entitled to pursue a wrongful death action. The team at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can represent you in this matter. Call 1-800-747-3733 for a free consultation.
A Roundup Weed Killer Lawsuit Lawyer
When greedy corporations knowingly push out harmful products to unsuspecting consumers, they must bear the liability for all the ways in which consumers suffer from those products.
The Roundup weed killer lawsuit lawyers from the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine in Florida handle cases on a contingency basis. We will go the extra mile when fighting for your rights to receive compensation for the economic losses, physical pain and suffering, and emotional damages you have endured—and will endure into the future—because of the illness you developed due to Roundup exposure.
You worry about getting better and we will take care of everything else. Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today at 1-800-747-3733 for a free case review and consultation.