Three Roundup Cancer Cases Headed to Trial this Week
As the number of lawsuits filed against Bayer over its controversial weed killer continues to grow, reports indicate that cases involving at least six individuals diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after being exposed to Roundup are scheduled to go to trial this week. Bayer currently faces more than 43,000 Roundup lawsuits filed in courts across the country, each raising similar allegations that the company’s Monsanto subsidiary withheld information about the link between Roundup and cancer from the public for decades, ignoring evidence that exposure to the weed killer increases the risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma among users. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or another type of cancer and you believe Roundup exposure to be the cause, contact an experienced Roundup cancer attorney today to discuss your options for legal recourse.
Roundup Exposure Linked to Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Roundup is an extremely widely used weed killer developed and sold by Monsanto beginning in 1974. Roundup contains glyphosate as its active ingredient, a chemical that has been classified by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer as a probable human carcinogen, meaning exposure to glyphosate may cause cancer in humans. A great deal of research has been done on the potential link between Roundup and cancer over the years, which has only increased concerns about the safety of the weed killer and the risk of users developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In 2008, the International Journal of Cancer found that “Glyphosate was associated with a statistically significant increased [overall risk] for lymphoma.” In 2015, experts in Denmark warned that “when we see that other mammals get cancer from glyphosate, we must assume that people who are exposed to the substance can also develop cancer.” Among the different types of cancer that have been linked to Roundup exposure are:
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- B-cell lymphoma
- Follicular lymphoma
- Mantle cell lymphoma
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
- Small lymphocytic lymphoma
- Marginal zone B-cell lymphoma
- Burkitt lymphoma
Plaintiff Verdicts in Roundup Cancer Cases
The first three Roundup cancer cases to go to trial in the United States resulted in massive jury awards for plaintiffs who alleged that exposure to Monsanto’s best-selling weed killer caused them to develop non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The plaintiffs also claimed that Monsanto covered up evidence that linked Roundup exposure to cancer, thereby causing users to be unnecessarily and unknowingly exposed to a probable human carcinogen. The following are the results of the first three Roundup cancer cases to go to before juries:
- In August 2018, a jury in San Francisco found that Monsanto had failed to issue adequate warnings about the potential for its popular Roundup product to cause cancer and awarded the plaintiff, a school groundskeeper who regularly sprayed Roundup as pat of his job, $289 million, an award that was later reduced to $78 million.
- In March 2019, a federal jury in San Francisco awarded $80 million in damages to a man who claimed that being exposed to Roundup while spraying the weed killer on his residential properties caused him to develop non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The $75 million in punitive damages awarded to the plaintiff in that trial was later reduced to $20 million.
- In May 2019, a jury in Oakland, California ordered Monsanto to pay more than $2 billion in damages to a couple who sprayed Roundup on their property for decades. Both husband and wife were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma within a few years of one another.
Bayer Under Pressure to Negotiate a Settlement
Considering these significant losses and the fact that there are still tens of thousands of Roundup lawsuits pending against the company, Bayer has faced considerable pressure to negotiate a Roundup settlement and avoid additional verdicts in future trials. Since last May, representatives for both sides have been working with a court-appointed mediator to try to resolve the litigation. In the meantime, though, it appears that at least three separate trials will begin over the next week, involving a total of six plaintiffs who claim that regular exposure to Roundup resulted in a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. One such trial set to begin tomorrow in St. Louis Circuit Court involves four plaintiffs who are separately pursuing compensation from Monsanto and Bayer for their injuries. This will mark the first trial to consist of multiple plaintiffs representing their individual claims together against Bayer.
Roundup Cancer Lawsuits Continue to Mount
Although the outcome of these upcoming Roundup cases will not necessarily have any impact on future claims, if Bayer suffers additional losses at trial, the company may be more likely to agree to a Roundup settlement. In the meantime, Bayer is expected to face ongoing claims as consumers nationwide continue to be diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and other types of cancer following exposure to Roundup. If you have been regularly exposed to Bayer’s glyphosate-based Roundup weed killer and you believe your exposure caused or contributed to your cancer diagnosis, do not wait to seek legal help. With a knowledgeable Roundup cancer lawyer on your side, you can significantly increase your chances of recovering the compensation you deserve from Bayer and Monsanto.
