Monsanto faces over 13,000 lawsuits after Roundup was marked a probable human carcinogen. Since it opened its doors in 1901, the company has grown to become a coveted agrochemical giant. But things haven’t been going its way lately following claims that its top-selling herbicide causes cancer.
Are you interested in the latest news on the Monsanto Roundup lawsuit? Here’s everything you need to know about Monsanto Roundup lawsuits and litigation.
The Monsanto Roundup Weed Killer Saga
As noted, Monsanto is an agrichemical conglomerate famed for the manufacture of effective agricultural products. Roundup is one of the most effective weed killers in the market.
As a result, the company, now owned by Bayer AG, has been generating millions in revenue from its sales. Since it first released the product, there were claims that it was carcinogenic. The company denied these claims saying that there was no scientific evidence to back them up.
However, its fortunes took a turn for the worst since 2015. This was after a report by WHO indicating that glyphosate, an active ingredient in Roundup, is carcinogenic. According to WHO, continuous exposure to glyphosate triggers the development of cancerous cells.
Other than that, Roundup also increases the risk to other serious health problems. Since this came to light, Monsanto now faces thousands of lawsuits from Roundup users.
They believe that their cancers are as a result of continuous use of the product. For instance, it has since been pinned the culprit behind Multiple Hodgkin Lymphoma diagnoses.
A Look at Various Monsanto Trials
Despite the report and myriads of lawsuits, Monsanto still affirms that Roundup is safe. Unfortunately, the company seems to be fighting a losing battle as every trial held against it so far has seen it incur massive losses.
In the most recent trial, Monsanto was ordered by a Californian Jury to make a settlement of over $2 billion. The money went to Alva and Alberta Pilliod who had sued the company for punitive damages. This came after a six-week trial proved that the couple contracted NHL due to continuous exposure to glyphosate.
During the trial, Alva and Alberta Pilliod pointed out that they never wore any protective clothes while using Roundup. This is because Monsanto had declared it safe for use, making them comfortable enough to use it while wearing casual clothes.
Alva’s lymphoma affected his bones and pelvis while Alberta’s took a toll on her brain. This negatively affected their lives, leaving them no choice but to seek justice.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the last of Roundup lawsuits that Monsanto faces. As of now, 13,000 lawsuits and counting have been filed against the agrochemical giant. The next trial against Monsanto is set to take place in St. Louis, Missouri.
This is after Sharlean Gordon sued the company for her cancer. According to her legal team, she has been using Roundup for the last one and a half decade. This proves continuous exposure to carcinogens in the product.
Sharleen is just one of the many Roundup users who have come forward. Many more roundup cancer lawsuits will be filed as the Roundup controversy continues to take center stage.
A Review of the Previous Roundup Lawsuits
In the first-ever Monsanto trial, the company paid $78.9 million to Dewayne Johnson in compensatory damages. At a glance, $78.9 million might not be much, but it’s what sparked off the countless lawsuits that followed.
Dewayne Johnson filed the lawsuit after he was diagnosed with terminal non-Hodgkin lymphoma a few years ago. All evidence in Dewayne’s case proved that his lymphoma was due to exposure to the carcinogenic compound in Roundup while he was working as a groundskeeper.
Initially, the court had ordered Monsanto to make a $289 million settlement to Dewayne. The amount was however reduced due to the Supreme Court ruling, which dictates that the punitive to compensatory damages ratio should be 9:1.
In the second case, Monsanto had to part ways with a whopping $80 million as compensation to Edwin Hardeman. Edwin was also diagnosed with NHL!
He began using Roundup as an herbicide to get rid of weeds on his 56 acres of land. He was diagnosed with the condition just a month before the WHO report. His was a federal court case which was ruled out in his favor.
As you’ll have noted by now, all Monsanto trials exhibit the same pattern. For instance, they all end with Monsanto parting ways with a considerable amount of money as settlement for punitive and compensatory damages.
Also, the amount of compensation has been increasing since the first case. For instance, the $2billion settlement is among the largest verdicts that a company has ever had to pay in a single trial.
Why Roundup Users Are Suing the Company
It’s vital to note that consumers are suing Monsanto not because they have cancer, but because of the company’s failure to inform the public of the risks associated with Roundup’s use. A majority of them are also taking this step because the company still insists that their product is safe.
In doing so, Monsanto disregards the countless studies that have proved the product packs carcinogenic compounds. This puts more consumers at risk.
The Future of Monsanto
As noted earlier, Roundup was one of Monsanto’s bestselling products. For instance, in 2017, Roundup alone saw Monsanto bag a $892 million profit. Since the controversial lawsuits began, its sales have been declining rapidly, causing a lot of losses for Monsanto and its parent company, Bayer Canada.
It’s vital to note that things aren’t only thick for Monsanto’s in courtrooms but the agrochemical market as well. Numerous reports are showing that the company has been experiencing a sharp decline in sales since the Roundup controversy began.
This has also massively affected Bayer AG’s stock price. As for now, the future of Monsanto seems quite bleak. This will continue to be the case as long as Bayer Canada asserts that Roundup is safe for consumer use.
Stay Updated on the Monsanto Roundup Lawsuit Controversy
With over thousands of lawsuits to go, there’s a lot that’s yet to unfold in the Monsanto roundup lawsuit saga. So, will Monsanto cave in and make a group settlement to all lawsuits filed? Or will it stick its ground to the end?
Keep updated with our posts to be in the know of what will happen next in the Monsanto controversy and the legal arena as well.
