Roundup is a chemical weed killer manufactured by Monsanto (now Bayer) that has been classified by the World Health Organization as a “probably carcinogenic in humans.”
In other words, significant exposure to Roundup may cause cancer.
If you believe that exposure to Roundup has caused you to develop cancer, it is important to know your legal rights. VanDerGinst Law is here to help.
Update: 2/16/2021: VanDerGinst Law is no longer accepting Roundup Lawsuit cases.
What is Roundup?
The active ingredient in Roundup is a compound called glyphosate.
Though Monsanto was originally the exclusive manufacturer and seller of glypohsate, it is now used as the main active ingredient in numerous other commercial weed killers. These include Bronco, Glifonox, KleenUp, Ranger Pro, Rodeo, and Weedoff, though there are many other brands as well.
Monsanto first marketed Roundup in the 1970s, and over the decades it has grown to be one of the most commonly used weed killers by farmers, gardeners, maintenance workers, agricultural workers, and many others.
One study estimates that almost 19 billion pounds of Roundup and other glyphosate herbicides have been applied throughout the world.
Roundup became particularly popular when Monsanto released a series of genetically-engineered crop seeds that were resistant to Roundup, so farmers could use the chemical extensively in their fields to kill weeds without harming their crops.
Roundup has been so widely used, in fact, that over time some weeds have begun to evolve a natural resistance to the chemical.
Is Roundup safe?
In short, Roundup may cause cancer.
In 2015, the International Agency for Research for Cancer, which is a division of the World Health Organization, determined that Roundup’s main active ingredient glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic in humans.”
Exposure to Roundup has been linked to cancers of the lymph nodes like non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma among agricultural workers and gardeners.
Did Monsanto, the company that produces Roundup, know it may cause cancer?
There is significant evidence that Monsanto knew that exposure to Roundup may cause cancer in humans.
Further, there is significant evidence that they tried to hide this information from the public.
According to recently released internal company documents, commonly known as the “Monsanto Papers,” Monsanto has known for decades about the possible dangers of Roundup, including the risk of cancer.
The internal documents also state, even more troublingly, Monsanto orchestrated an astonishingly large campaign to manipulate or bury scientific research on Roundup and interfere with media coverage of the chemical.
Monsanto may have even influenced governmental review of Roundup’s safety.
Have successful Roundup lawsuits been filed?
Lawsuits filed by injured people exposed to Roundup have resulted in some of the largest jury verdicts in recent history.
- In 2018, a California man who had routinely used Roundup during his work as a groundskeeper and developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma was awarded $289 million in damages. On appeal, the verdict was reduced to $78 million.
- In 2019, a California man who had sprayed Roundup on his properties for decades and developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma was awarded $80 million.
- In 2019, a husband and wife in California who used Roundup to landscape their home and other properties for decades and developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma were awarded $2 billion. This verdict was later reduced to $78 million.
In the great majority of cases that end with a verdict for the plaintiff, the injured party is awarded only “compensatory damages,” which as the name suggests, are intended only to compensate the plaintiff for his or her injuries.
These three Roundup lawsuit verdicts were so large because the jury awarded the plaintiffs “punitive damages” in addition to compensatory damages.
These unusual awards of punitive damages were intended to penalize Monsanto for “malice, oppression, or fraud.”
How VanDerGinst Law Can Help You
Update: 2/16/2021: VanDerGinst Law is no longer accepting Roundup Lawsuit cases.
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury, illness or death due to significant exposure to Roundup, call a personal injury attorney from VanDerGinst Law at 800-797-5391.
The initial consultation with is free of charge.
If we agree to handle your injury case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if, and when, there is a money recovery for you.
In many cases, a lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations.
Please contact us away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.
Our team of personal injury lawyers is licensed to practice in Illinois, Iowa, and the federal courts.
We have handled and can handle serious cases all over the country.
No matter where you reside, VanDerGinst Law can help you.
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