Monsanto’s weed-killer Roundup is everywhere. It’s used everywhere from back-yard gardens to multi-acre farms. Now those who use glyphosate for a living are getting sick with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Farmers, landscapers, and others with high exposure levels are suing Monsanto for causing their cancer, and they are winning.
Federal Jury Awards $80 Million Verdict Against Monsanto for Cancer
On Wednesday, March 27, 2019, 70-year-old Edwin Hardeman walked out of court a very rich man. A six-person federal jury had just awarded him an $80 million verdict against Bayer PC, the owner of Monsanto. The jury found that by using Roundup products to treat poison oak, weeds, and overgrowth on his 65-acre property for over 30 years, Hardeman had been exposed to weed-killing glyphosate, which was a “substantial factor” in his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
It isn’t the first verdict against Monsanto. In 2018, a California state court found in favor of Dewayne Johnson, a groundskeeper suffering from the same disease. The jury awarded Johnson $289 million, but the judge later reduced the verdict to $78 million. Both cases have been or will soon be appealed to a federal circuit court of appeals. Altogether, approximately 11,000 plaintiffs have sued Monsanto, including more than 800 lawsuits which have been combined into a multi-jurisdiction system of federal litigation.
Glyphosate Makes Monsanto Roundup Weed-Killer Dangerous
Monsanto invented the chemical herbicide glyphosate in the 1970s. It kills weeds by blocking the enzymes that regulate their growth. Over time, glyphosate has spread into over 750 products sold in the U.S. and is used on everything from fields full of Roundup Ready produce to back-yard veggie gardens.
While Bayer claims glyphosate and Roundup have been tested for safe human consumption, jurisdictions in over 2 dozen countries, including Los Angeles County, California, have banned or restricted its use. The World Health Organization has labeled it a “probable human carcinogen” and in 2017, California added it to the list of cancer-causing chemicals.
Because of its use in food production, nearly everyone has been exposed to glyphosate. One study done by researchers at the University of California San Francisco and the Berkeley University found that among a small cross-section of people, 93% had glyphosate residue in their urine.
Farmers & Landscapers at Especially High Risk of Cancer
For farmers, landscapers, and others readily exposed to the product, that exposure can add up to a significantly increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Among the general population, approximately 2 in 100 will contract the disease. When people are highly exposed to glyphosate, that number jumps to 2.8. Scientists at the University of Washington found that agricultural workers have a 41% higher risk of contracting the disease.
What to Do If You Think Monsanto Caused Your Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
It’s not too late to join into the multi-jurisdiction federal lawsuit. If you are a farmer, landscaper, or even an avid gardener suffering from non-Hodgkin lymphoma, you should speak to a personal injury attorney right away to see if you qualify to join the suit.
At the Macomb Law Group, we have decades of experience representing personal injury victims. We want to help you sue Monsanto for cancer, too. But you have to act fast if you want to get in on the lawsuit. Contact the Macomb Law Group, or call (586) 225-7200 today.
