In 2017, lawsuits were filed in California against Monsanto, the company that produces Roundup, alleging that the herbicide’s active ingredient, glyphosate, can cause serious health concerns, including the development of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In 2018, the first Roundup lawsuit resulted in a jury ordering Monsanto to pay plaintiff DeWayne Johnson $289 million after the jury found that the active ingredient in Roundup is tied to the development of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other cancers. Now, the results of the first phase of the second Roundup cancer trial in California has reaffirmed the first jury’s assertions. Here, the product liability attorneys at The Law Offices of Peter Angelos discuss the most recent developments of the Roundup lawsuits.
Glyphosate’s Connection to Cancer and the Allegations Against Monsanto
Glyphosate is one of the most commonly found active ingredients in herbicides that is used to help manage undesirable vegetation. Glyphosate is also the active ingredient in Roundup, an herbicide that has been produced by Monsanto since the 1970s. Scientific studies have documented the connection between glyphosate and cancer, indicating that those exposed to the chemical have a 41% increased risk of developing Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Other studies have indicated that herbicide formulations such as Roundup are more toxic to humans than glyphosate in isolation. In 2015, glyphosate was declared a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
Lawsuits filed against Monsanto, both in California and Missouri, assert that prolonged exposure to glyphosate caused plaintiffs to develop serious health concerns, including Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The lawsuits also assert that Monsanto was aware of the health risks glyphosate posed, but failed to warn the public and even attempted to “champion falsified data and attack legitimate studies” indicating the chemical was carcinogenic in order to continue marketing Roundup as safe.
Active Ingredient in Roundup Found to Be a “Substantial Factor” in Cancer Development for Plaintiff in Second Roundup Trial
In August 2018, a California jury ordered Monsanto to pay plaintiff DeWayne Johnson $289 million after they found that the groundskeeper’s regular use of Roundup contributed to his development of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The second Roundup trial to be held in California, of which the first phase ended on Tuesday, resulted in the jury finding that Roundup was a “substantial factor” in plaintiff Edwin Hardeman’s Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Now, the second phase of Hardeman’s trial, which will determine liability and damages, has begun. While Hardeman’s attorneys declined to put a number on the punitive damages that should be paid to Hardeman, they did note that Monsanto was recently purchased by Bayer for $63 billion. Aimee Wagstaff, one of Hardeman’s attorneys, said during the trial that Monsanto influenced studies of Roundup through its “cozy” relationship with regulators. She also claimed individuals at Monsanto ghost-wrote scientific studies about Roundup and glyphosate to influence regulatory reviews.
Talk to the Product Liability Attorneys at The Law Offices of Peter Angelos About Potential Roundup Exposure
Roundup is the most commonly used herbicide on the global market, and scientific research conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has indicated that Roundup and other glyphosate-containing products are a probable human carcinogen that have the potential to cause users to develop non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and other serious health concerns after prolonged exposure. If you or a loved one works in an industry where Roundup and other glyphosate-containing products are regularly used, and have suffered from serious health concerns including Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, we urge you to contact The Law Offices of Peter Angelos today for a no-charge consultation.