Recent Roundup Weed Killer News & Information
In August 2018, the first Roundup lawsuit to go to trial resulted in a $289 million verdict for former groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson. About 8,000 lawsuits have been filed throughout the country on behalf of agricultural laborers and gardeners diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after using Roundup.
In recent years, Roundup Weed Killer has risen to prominence in the news for all the wrong reasons. Numerous lawsuits have been filed against Roundup’s original manufacturer, Monsanto, and their new owner Bayer - and some of these suits have already succeeded to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars in compensatory and punitive damages. Mass torts exist against Roundup that victims can readily join to seek fair reimbursement for all of the losses that this product may have caused.
At Consumer Alert Now, we are here to help you understand the risks of potentially dangerous and defective products (like Roundup Weed Killer is now often alleged to be). We also serve you by providing you with the necessary link to a skilled, proven mass tort lawyer who has experience handling Roundup Weed Killer cases and other similar types of tort actions.
To learn more or to find a top-tier local Roundup attorney to evaluate and/or pursue your case, call Consumer Alert Now today at 800-511-0747. We operate nationwide and can assist you anytime 24/7!
About Roundup Weed Killer
Roundup Weed Killer is among the most popular of all pesticides used in the US and in the world. It is used extensively both in commercial and agricultural contexts and for private home gardens and lawns. It is also used for crop desiccation, which is where a crop is thinned out to promote a more productive overall harvest.
There are numerous ingredients, of course, in Roundup Weed Killer, but the most important is glyphosate, which inhibits the production of certain plant enzymes. This enzyme inhibition ultimately leads to plant death. Almost 50 years ago, John Franz, who was working for Monsanto, discovered this capability of glyphosate, and in 1974, the new discovery was put into action in the form of Roundup. The patent for glyphosate expired in 2000, but Roundup is still the most important manufacturer of glyphosate-containing herbicides.
To boost the usefulness of Roundup Weed Killer even more, in 2007, Monsanto produced “Roundup Ready” crop seeds that would produce plants already resistant to glyphosate. This meant you could spray the crop with Roundup without fearing it would kill the “good plants.” Only the weeds would die. However, some weeds have become resistant to glyphosate as well, which is a major problem for Roundup. Glyphosate only works on weeds that have already grown. It cannot be used to prevent weeds but only to kill them.
Roundup was approved for use by all US regulatory bodies and by many other regulatory bodies around the world. It is still approved in spite of its recently attested dangerous nature and the filing of lawsuits against its manufacturers. There is a growing awareness around the world about the harmful potential effects of glyphosate and of Roundup Weed Killer. Nonetheless, the product continues to be widely popular.
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Specifically, the glyphosate in Roundup has allegedly been a contributing cause of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in some users. To understand the seriousness of recent Roundup Weed Killer lawsuits, we need to see what this type of cancer is and what it does.
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) begins in white blood cells, which are also known as “lymphocytes.” Destroying white blood cells cripples the body’s immune system and inevitably leads to easy susceptibility to numerous deadly diseases. NHL may also begin in lymph nodes and tissues, and it can sometimes have dire effects on the sufferer’s skin. Your lymph system is an integral part of your overall immune system, and without it working properly, the body can’t defend itself. Plus, lymph problems can prevent fluids from moving through the body in a normal manner.
Major areas that are affected early by non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma include the lymph nodes, the spleen, bone marrow (where new blood cells are produced), the thymus (which aids in the development of some white blood cells), the tonsils, and the digestive tract.
There are two major types of NHL, one affecting “B” cells and the other affecting “T” cells. B cells produce antibodies that grab hold of pathogens and “mark” them for destruction by other blood cells. T cells have many functions, but one of them is to actually destroy germs and malformed cells - thus B and T cells work together to an extent, and they are both critical to immune health.
Some NHL is slow (“indolent”) while other forms are very aggressive. But they are all potentially fatal. Cancerous cells spread from the lymph system and white blood cells to other parts of the body, including the brain, liver, and bone marrow.
Given the devastating and often fatal nature of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, any product that is thought to contribute to its development should not be considered safe to use. Glyphosate has been identified in recent years as a likely cause of NHL for those with sufficient exposure to Roundup Weed Killer.
Is Glyphosate Really Dangerous?
In March of 2015, a WHO organization ran a study that determined that glyphosate, the most important active ingredient in Roundup, is likely carcinogenic to human beings. The evidence was called “limited,” and it was only a single study. Nonetheless, this has become part of the basis for establishing a connection between Roundup Weed Killer and cases of NHL in recent lawsuits.
However, Monsanto cites the fact of there having been 800+ other studies that did not turn up any problem with glyphosate. And they also rely on the lack of any action taken against glyphosate herbicides or Roundup by the EPA. The Agricultural Health Study even looked at possible negative effects of glyphosate on farmer families across a 20-year period (1993 to 2013) and failed to find a cancer-glyphosate connection. There wasn’t any connection found at that time with NHL or with any kind of cancerous tumors or lymphoid problems.
Although glyphosate has been used since the 1970s and is now used in over 160 nations (and especially in the US and UK), the 2015 study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) created problems for the herbicide giant. Likely connections with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma were turned up at this point. But it wasn’t just glyphosate in and of itself that was the biggest problem. The study suggests that the interaction of glyphosate with other Roundup Weed Killer ingredients increases the cancer risk significantly for this product as opposed to “raw glyphosate.”
It wasn’t long after the WHO-based study that Roundup lawsuits started to pop up in the US. Although US regulatory agencies, such as the EPA, have not yet acknowledged the danger, suits have gone forward anyway. And some of them have already succeeded.
IARC Study Details
On March 20, 2015, the IARC released study results on a study of five popular pesticides and herbicides. Among them was glyphosate, the key ingredient in Roundup Weed Killer. For those who want to read the extremely fine print of the study, here is a link to the IARC monograph volume. However, here are the details of the study as regards glyphosate in a shorter space.
The study examined numerous new data sources in scientific journals and from government agencies on glyphosate and the other subjects of inquiry. The study group found “limited evidence” that glyphosate may contribute to causing NHL. Conclusions were drawn by studying known cases of extensive exposure. Additionally, lab mice developed NHL tumors in some earlier studies, which led the EPA to originally consider glyphosate “possibly carcinogenic” in 1985. But that EPA label was soon removed in 1991.
The IARC also found that glyphosate could cause DNA and chromosome damage to human cells. There was evidence found that being nearby areas where glyphosate was recently sprayed can increase the incidence of chromosome damage. Exposure to glyphosate may occur from use of it, from living near areas where it has been applied, or even through consumption of foods in which traces of it are present. However, sufficient exposure to cause cancer has so far only been attested in cases where rather extreme and/or frequent exposure has occurred.
Roundup Weed Killer Lawsuits
To qualify for a Roundup Weed Killer lawsuit - to join a mass tort action, you would normally have to have been diagnosed with NHL (non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma). That would require medical diagnosis and verification thereof. And you would also have to have used Roundup Weed Killer or been exposed to it in some other way in significant quantities. This can have happened on a single occasion or, more likely, over the course of many incidents and across months or years.
You don’t necessarily have to show that glyphosate was the sole or even main cause of cancer. As long as it is shown to be a contributing cause and/or one without which cancer would not have occurred, you have the basis for a valid lawsuit. State laws will differ on some of these points, so you will want to connect with an experienced in-state attorney who specializes in dangerous and defective products suits.
The majority of NHL cases occur for unknown causes. And it is possible that something other than glyphosate may have caused cancer. This will undoubtedly be taken advantage of by the defense, and cancers can’t be pinned down as to cause-effect via biopsies and X-rays. Thus, you need someone with very specific skills in proving, insofar as this is possible, that a real connection exists between the NHL and Roundup’s products. However, note that you can’t technically use medical tests to prove that tobacco smoke caused lung cancer either - but everyone knows it does. So these sorts of limitations are not insurmountable by an experienced lawyer.
The basis of the lawsuit can be simply that it was a dangerous product, or it may be that Monsanto failed to properly warn product users of the dangers involved. The amount of compensation will vary considerably depending on the severity of the damage and the degree of responsibility that is attributable to Roundup. Joining a mass tort action is the most certain and most convenient way to get started on collecting compensation. There are already over 4,000 Roundup Weed Killer suits in action or awaiting trial in multiple states. If you believe you have been injured by this product, do not hesitate to contact a good lawyer and find out if you qualify to join an existing mass tort lawsuit.
DeWayne Johnson Vs. Monsanto
The first lawsuit against Monsanto over Roundup Weed Killer took place in August of 2018 in California. DeWayne Johnson, who had been a groundskeeper at a local school filed the suit. He applied Roundup a couple of dozen times during his employment there, and there were two incidents where he accidentally drenched himself in Roundup. After such an accident that took place in 2012, Johnson was diagnosed with NHL two years later in 2014.
The jury ended up finding Monsanto guilty and awarding Johnson a $289 million judgment, composed of a $250 million in punitive damages and $39 million for direct compensation. It took three days of deliberations to reach the decision, but the large amount awarded and the confidence of the jury that Roundup was to blame set a huge precedent. Monsanto continues to deny the connection, but nonetheless, hundreds of new cases of a similar nature immediately arose.
The Johnson case had a huge impact in the US and worldwide. And it likely was part of the reason Monsanto ended up letting Bayer, a Germany-based company, acquire Roundup. The blow was devastating, and they were glad to let someone else handle future allegations.
Other Cases Followed in 2019
As 2019 rolled around, there were soon hundreds of new lawsuits filed over Roundup Weed Killer. In fact, there are now thousands of such suits in play, and many of them have been organized into mass tort cases. The controversy over glyphosate and its effects on the human body has only grown more intense as time has gone by, and it is impossible to tell ahead of time how all of these cases will ultimately be decided.
One of the very next cases after the DeWayne Johnson case mentioned above was one by a Mr. Hardeman. He had been using Roundup Weed Killer to kill off weeds and poison oak on his 50-plus-acre property. He used this product for around three decades, from the 1980s through 2012. In 2015, he discovered he had developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In 2019, believing the glyphosate in Roundup had caused cancer, he pursued compensation through a lawsuit in California.
This was just the beginning. The legal floodgates are now wide open, and thousands more are joining these mass tort actions year by year. There is no need to wait! The sooner you take action, the better your chances of winning compensation and of getting as large a settlement as possible.
Transfer Of Lawsuits To Bayer
An interesting thing happened in June of 2019. Monsanto was acquired by Bayer (a German-based pharmaceutical company) for a price tag of over $62 billion. Given that Monsanto’s Roundup product line is the most popular line of herbicides on the planet, it’s not surprising that the selling price was so high. However, Bayer also bought some lawsuits, so to speak - which may prove to be quite costly in the long run.
In fact, there are over 11,000 people already who have filed against Bayer due to the claim of Roundup causing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer. Bayer quickly announced it opposed the decision in the Johnson case and would fight tooth and nail against further judgments and settlements. They immediately cited the numerous studies that had found Roundup to be a safe product and the various government agencies that had approved it for sale to the public over the last four decades.
But the full story is that glyphosate has been suspect for a long time, and the discovery of a likely link with NHL cancer only confirmed those suspicions in the minds of many. The IARC study that declared Roundup to contain a “probable carcinogen” was not truly an isolated incident in the greater scheme of things.
The stock of Bayer fell steeply following the acquisition of Monsanto and defeats in the courtroom over Roundup Weed Killer. No doubt, the company will recover nicely ere long, but what about those who may have been harmed by Monsanto’s products? That will depend on who takes the necessary steps to pursue compensation and on what the courts ultimately decide.
Other Types Of Roundup Weed Killer Lawsuits
Although the most common and notorious harmful effect attributed to Roundup Weed Killer is non-Hodgkin lymphoma, there are actually some other possible harmful side effects of this product.
Some have claimed that glyphosate, interacting with other Roundup ingredients, can cause other forms of cancer as well. These include leukemia, brain cancer, lung cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid cancer, and other forms of lymphoma. Additionally, glyphosate can potentially cause kidney or liver disease, nervous system damage, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, fertility problems, and birth defects.
If you have any of these health conditions and believe there may be a connection with prior use of or exposure to Roundup Weed Killer, be sure to talk to a lawyer to discover if you have grounds for a viable lawsuit.
How Much Can I Collect In A Roundup Lawsuit?
There is no preset amount determining how much compensation you would get if it is proven in court that Roundup caused you to develop NHL or suffer from some other serious medical condition. Those plaintiffs grouped together in a mass tort action may get similar, if not exactly equal, compensation, but even then, it depends on the exact facts of the case.
Some plaintiffs have already collected tens of millions of dollars in compensation. The severity of the case and the skill of your mass tort lawyer are the two leading factors in determining how much you will ultimately receive. Note that most mass tort attorneys will not demand any payment upfront but will simply work for a percentage of the compensation they secure for you. If they fail to secure anything, they will not charge you at all. This also means, however, that lawyers will only want to take your case if it stands a reasonable chance of actually winning - so you will need to “qualify” for the lawsuit. Standards are generally quite reasonable and even lenient for qualifying, but you must be able to show that you were exposed to Roundup Weed Killer and suffered NHL or another disease that could have stemmed from its use.
Reimbursement will cover all hospital and medical bills, lost wages and lost earning capacity. Compensation can include permanent disability benefits, funerary expenses, emotional trauma, and pain and suffering. Each state has a somewhat different system for determining compensation, and each judge may even rule radically differently. Some states will put caps on non-economic damages, while others will not. Statutes of limitations are often two years from the date of injury or date of discovery of the injury, but this too varies from state to state. If a loved one has already died due to injuries caused by Roundup Weed Killer, you may be able to file a wrongful death suit in his or her stead.
Find A Top-tier Roundup Weed Killer Attorney Near Me!
At Consumer Alert Now, we have deep experience in assisting consumers in getting the information they need and the legal help they need in the face of many dangerous and defective products on the market. We specialize in connecting you with mass tort lawsuits for the exact side effect and product involved.
Contact Consumer Alert Now by calling us anytime 24/7 at 800-511-0747 for a free consultation! Our service is nationwide, but we can connect you to a local lawyer who understands your state’s personal injury and tort laws. Call us today!
