Roundup, which is a product of Bayer-owned Monsanto, is the most popular weed killer in the world. It is used on nearly all cotton, corn, and soy farms in the United States and on individual consumers’ personal properties. Despite the product’s worldwide popularity, however, recent U.S. federal trials have shown that Roundup may be more dangerous to use than anyone expected.
Why is Roundup considered dangerous?
Today, there are over 14,000 pending lawsuits against Monsanto due to Roundup’s alleged link to cancer. The recent influx of lawsuits was largely prompted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)’s 2015 classification of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, as a probable carcinogen. In addition to the IARC’s classification, results from a growing body of research conducted over the past few decades have supported that glyphosate exposure causes cancer.
In 1985, a peer review completed by the Environmental Protection Agency classified glyphosate as a possible human carcinogen. This classification was based on tumors that were found on mice and rats exposed to glyphosate. Another study conducted in 1998 found that glyphosate triggers a destructive effect on genetic material in animals that could cause cancer. And just earlier this year, former EPA advisors published research claiming that heavy exposure to Roundup increases a person’s risk of developing a group of blood cancers called non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) by 41 percent.
Perhaps even more alarmingly, a June 12 report released by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) showed that 17 of 21 tested oat-based cereals and snacks contain higher levels of glyphosate than what scientists consider safe for children to eat. Researchers detected the highest concentration of glyphosate in Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch, finding which contains over five times the amount of glyphosate that children can safely consume.
Roundup trial plaintiffs have promising wins
In April, I discussed the $80 million awarded to 70-year-old Edwin Hardeman, who was diagnosed with NHL after using Roundup’s weed killer regularly for 26 years. This was the second verdict regarding Roundup’s contribution to a plaintiff’s cancer diagnosis. In the first case, a California jury awarded the plaintiff, school groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson, $289 million after he developed NHL after using Roundup for years at work. His winnings were later reduced to $78 million by the Court.
On May 13, 2019, a California jury for the third Roundup trial awarded married couple Alva and Alberta Pilliod, who were both diagnosed with NHL after using Roundup for decades, over $2 billion in damages. On June 17, Bayer filed a motion asking a California judge to reverse the most recent verdict, claiming that the jury’s decision to side with the plaintiffs was not supported by evidence. That verdict is now being appealed as well.
The next Roundup trial is expected to begin in August 2019 in St. Louis County. More updates will be posted here as they develop.
If you or a loved one has developed Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) cancer after being exposed to glyphosates used in Roundup, please give the Roundup lawyers at Childers, Schlueter, & Smith a call at 800-641-0098 or fill out our online contact form. All initial inquiries are free of charge and without obligation.
If you or a loved one has developed cancer after being exposed to glyphosates, please give the lawyers at Childers, Schlueter, & Smith a call at 800-641-0098 or fill out our online contact form. All initial inquiries are free of charge and without obligation.
A partner with Childers, Schlueter & Smith, LLC,, Brandon Smith has devoted his practice to pharmaceutical litigation, mass torts, products liability and serious personal injury. A frequent guest speaker at legal seminars all over the country—Brandon is focused on helping injured victims nationwide, however possible. Named a SuperLawyer again in 2019, he has also been called out as one of 10 Best Attorneys For Georgia by the American Institute Of Personal Injury Attorneys and a Top 100 Lawyer in Georgia by the National Trial Lawyers in 2019.
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