Update on Roundup Litigation
Bayer has negotiated a class action settlement in an effort to end Roundup weed-killer litigation once and for all. But that doesn’t mean victims of this dangerous product can’t still file a claim for damages. As part of the deal, a $1.25 billion fund has been aside for potential future cases.
Roundup Litigation Settlements June 2020
According to a New York Times report, Bayer, which purchased Monsanto two years ago, has agreed to pay more than $10 billion to settle tens of thousands of Roundup claims. The settlement covers roughly 95,000 outstanding cases and includes a $1.25 billion fund for future claims of Roundup customers that develop non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
At the same time, the company plans to continue selling the product without warning labels. Part of the $1.25 billion fund will be used to establish an independent panel to resolve the issue of the safety of glyphosate, the ingredient in Roundup that is causing health concerns.
What is Roundup?
Roundup is the most widely used weed killer in the world. The product was brought to market in 1974, just four years after one of the company’s scientists discovered that Glyphosate was an effective herbicide.
Roundup is used in backyards, parks, gardens, playgrounds, and commercially to increase crop yields. Its manufacturer, Monsanto, which is now owned by German pharmaceutical giant Bayer, generates over $6 billion in revenue annually with this product alone.
Does Roundup Cause Cancer?
The most serious side effect of glyphosate exposure is non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), which is a form of cancer. Agricultural workers are considered to be at the highest risk for developing NHL, which is a type of cancer that starts in the white blood cells. The American Cancer Society estimates that roughly 77,000 Americans will be diagnosed with NHL in 2020.
There have been conflicting reports about the safety of glyphosate. In 1985, the EPA classified glyphosate as a Group C chemical, an indicator that it is “potentially carcinogenic to humans.” But it reversed that decision in 1991 after heavy lobbying by Monsanto and declared the chemical safe.
In 2015, the International Agency for Research of Cancer (IARC), the cancer research arm of the WHO, classified the chemical compound as “probably carcinogenic to humans.”
Well before the IARC made its determination, research pointed to the dangers of glyphosate. In 2003, the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine published a study of 3,400 Midwest farmworkers. It concluded that there was a link between glyphosate exposure and higher rates of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Both Bayer and the EPA maintain that glyphosate is safe and has no links to cancer, but the thousands of men and women who have become ill after using Roundup have a different opinion.
Filing a Roundup Lawsuit
Monsanto never warned consumers about the potential dangers of using its Roundup product, and Bayer still claims that the herbicide is safe. When a product manufacturer did know or should have known about a hazard that caused serious injury but failed to act or even concealed the truth, this is grounds for a product liability case.
The first Roundup lawsuit was filed in 2015, and tens of thousands of additional cases have been filed in the past five years. The awards in the cases have been significant:
- August 2018 – A groundskeeper who was diagnosed with NHL was awarded $289 million, with a finalized verdict of $78 million.
- March 2019 – A California jury awarded $80 million to a man who claimed his NHL was caused by Roundup.
- May 2019 – A California couple was awarded $2 billion in a jury verdict over the claim that Roundup caused their NHL.
If you have used Roundup and believe you have developed cancer from its use, you may be entitled to compensation. To file a Roundup lawsuit, victims need an experienced product liability attorney.
Reeves & Mestayer in Biloxi is a top-rated personal injury law firm that aggressively fights for interests of injury victims and their families. Our firm has recovered over $1 billion for clients across the country, and we are ready to fight for you.
Get Help from Experienced Roundup Lawsuit Attorneys
The attorneys at Reeves and Mestayer, PLLC are currently investigating cases involving Roundup and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The current settlement deal making headlines does not mean that new claims against the maker of this product are not possible. If you or someone you love had frequent exposure to Roundup and developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, you may be entitled to compensation.
Contact our office today at 1-855-558-2977 or reach out online to schedule a free consultation.
