Roundup Lawsuit Lawyers

Active Ingredient in Roundup Linked to Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma 

Did you or a loved one develop a form of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma after using the popular herbicide Roundup? Thousands of lawsuits have been filed against the makers of Roundup weed killer, and billions of dollars in damages have been awarded to plaintiffs so far. Glyphosate, the active ingredient that is used in Roundup, has been linked to non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. The makers of Roundup not only failed to warn users of the dangers with their product, but they may have deliberately covered it up.

Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman is now accepting clients who have become seriously ill or whose loved ones have died after years of repeated exposure to Roundup. Call our office today at (866) 466-5789 to discuss your situation and to find out if you have a Roundup case.

The History of Roundup

Glyphosate, the primary weed-killing ingredient in Roundup, was developed about half a century ago, and Roundup was introduced commercially by the Monsanto Company in 1974. Glyphosate was considered a breakthrough product, because it could kill virtually any type of weed. This allowed farmers, gardeners, landscapers, groundskeepers, and others who worked with plants to use just one weed-killing treatment for all of their plants.

During the 1990s, Monsanto came up with another breakthrough by introducing genetically modified plants that were resistant to glyphosate. Users could now plant “Roundup ready” crops, meaning the crops would not be harmed by Roundup. This solidified Roundup’s position as the dominant product in the weed-killing market. Unfortunately, however, the weeds adapted to the use of glyphosate over time, requiring a much heavier use of the product to achieve its desired effect.

During the years that followed, Monsanto created numerous variations of Roundup for different purposes, and hundreds of millions of pounds of the product were sold and used in over 160 countries throughout the world. By 2015, annual sales of Roundup topped $15 billion, and the product was so profitable, the Monsanto Company was bought by pharmaceutical giant Bayer for approximately $60 billion.

Monsanto May Have Covered Up Glyphosate’s Links to Cancer

Glyphosate has a very controversial history. Monsanto has always maintained that the product is as safe as table salt and practically non-toxic to humans, pets, birds, and fish. And they have spent (and continue to spend) untold amounts of money defending their position.

Concerns about glyphosate began to surface in the mid-1980s, when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classified the substance as a “Group C” chemical. Chemicals in this category are considered “possibly carcinogenic to humans”. This classification was based on studies conducted that showed that mice were more likely to get cancer when they were exposed to glyphosate.

Under heavy pressure from Monsanto, the EPA reclassified glyphosate to a “Group E” chemical in 1991. Chemicals in this classification are believed to be safe for humans and pose no threat of cancer. Why did the EPA change their minds about glyphosate? We cannot be entirely sure about the answer this question. One thing we do know is that the EPA’s decision was extremely beneficial for Monsanto.

After reclassifying glyphosate as a “Group E” chemical, Monsanto came out with its “Roundup ready” crops, which turned Roundup into a powerhouse that went on to become a multibillion-dollar product and dominate the industry. In addition, unsealed documents from a 2017 lawsuit filed against Monsanto indicate that the company may have ghostwritten several scientific articles that came up with favorable findings about their flagship product, and used these articles to convince the EPA and the public that glyphosate was safe.

IARC Study Exposes the Dangers of Roundup

A 2015 report that was published by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) finally started to blow the lid off of Monsanto’s decades long effort to conceal the truth about Roundup. Based on several studies that have been conducted since the 1991 EPA ruling, the IARC classified glyphosate as a “Group 2A” carcinogen. Chemicals in this category are considered “probably carcinogenic to humans.”

The IARC report has helped validate the findings of other studies that have shown a strong link between glyphosate and various forms of cancer. For example, a study of more than 3,400 Midwest farm workers conducted by the International Journal of Scientific Research and Public Health found that those who were repeatedly exposed to glyphosate had significantly higher rates of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Glyphosate has been linked to several other conditions as well, including:

• Follicular Lymphoma
• Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL)
• Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma
• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
• Mantel Cell Lymphoma (MCL)
• Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphomas
• Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
• Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma
• Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (SLL)
• Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma not otherwise specified
• Angioimmunoblastic T-Cell Lymphoma
• Burkitt Lymphoma
• Extranodal natural kill/T-Cell Lymphoma nasal type
• Hairy Cell Leukemia
• Nodal Marginal Zone B-Cell Lymphoma
• Multiple Myeloma

Monsanto has spent huge amounts of money trying to discredit and delegitimize the findings of the IARC report, and they continue to maintain that Roundup is a safe product. And despite the thousands of lawsuits that have been filed and the fact that most of Europe and South America has banned the product, Roundup is still widely available in the U.S. and many other countries.

Roundup Lawsuits Show Early Successes

Those who have used Roundup repeatedly over an extended period of time are now starting to realize that this product may have been the cause of the serious health condition they developed. To date, more than 18,000 lawsuits have been filed against Monsanto/Bayer.

There are numerous individual lawsuits, and many of these have been consolidated into multi-district litigation (MDL) in the Alameda County Superior Court in California and the St. Louis County Court in Missouri. This is also federal multi-district litigation in California, as well as several pending class-action lawsuits in various states.

The first Roundup lawsuit that went to trial resulted in a $289 million verdict against Monsanto/Bayer. This case was expedited because the plaintiff, Dewayne Johnson, was considered seriously ill. Johnson was a former Northern California school groundskeeper who contracted non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after repeated exposure to Roundup over several years. He was awarded $39 million in compensatory damages and $250 million in punitive damages. The award was later reduced by a judge to a total of $78 million.

In another California case that went to trial, a jury awarded a couple (Alva and Alberta Pilliod) $55 million in compensatory damages and $2 billion in punitive damages. In requesting the $2 billion punitive damage award, the Pilliods’ lawyer argued that a multi-billion-dollar verdict would send a strong message to Monsanto that they will be held fully accountable for their egregious conduct. A judge later reduced the punitive damages in the case to $87 million, which is customary with these types of cases so as to stay within allowable constitutional limits.

Not surprisingly, Monsanto/Bayer has appealed these and other unfavorable rulings. But as more and more Roundup victims come forward, hopefully, they will finally begin to face reality, acknowledge that their product is not safe, and take it off the market.

Contact Our Roundup Lawsuit Attorneys for your Free Consultation

If you or someone close to you has developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or another severe health problem because of repeated exposure to Roundup, you may be entitled to significant compensation. At Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman, L.L.C., we have been standing up for clients who have suffered serious harm because of products like Roundup for more than 45 years, and we are ready to go to work for you!

We are now accepting Roundup cases from anywhere in the United States. For a free consultation with one of our attorneys, call us toll-free at 866-466-5789 or send us an email through our web contact form.