Monsanto Roundup Lawsuit

The weed killer Roundup has been advertised as safe and environmentally friendly. You could simply spray it on your plants and walk away, confident that the weeds would be dead within a day or two and your garden or field would be better for it.

Because of the simplicity of this product, many farms and homes made it a regular part of its maintenance routine. For some, it served as a great alternative to the back-breaking labor of getting down in the dirt and pulling up the weeds one by one. Due to its efficiency and ease of use, gardeners, farmers, landscapers, and grounds keepers began to use more and more of the product, coating fields, gardens, parks, and yards with the chemical. Consumers continued to use Roundup for decades, unaware that the weed killer could be slowly killing those who used it.

Roundup Lawsuits

Since 2015, Roundup and its parent company Monsanto have faced accusations that the weed killer can cause cancer in those exposed to the chemicals.

Despite evident showing that Roundup does, indeed, cause cancer, Monsanto vehemently denies these claims. As more and more people come forward with similar claims, Monsanto’s denial is being thoroughly scrutinized in courts across the country.

These cases against Roundup will go through the courts for years. Bayer, which recently purchased Monsanto, may also try to deny responsibility for the injuries and deaths caused by its newest addition. Those who have been hurt or lost a loved one because of exposure to Roundup may be left waiting for years to finally have justice served. For the victims suffering from cancer due to exposure, they and its loved one don’t have time for Monsanto to accept responsibility for its actions.
Pursuing a case against Monsanto can be complex and nuanced. You’re going against a multi-billion dollar company with a team of high-paid corporate lawyers ready to deny Monsanto’s true liability. But Monsanto’s size and wealth does not excuse it from the consequences of its actions, and you have a legal right to hold them accountable for the injuries, death, and pain and suffering they’ve caused.
If you are someone or you someone you know used Roundup and have since been diagnosed with cancer, you may have a case to bring against the makers of the product. If you would like to know more and discuss the next steps, call the Brady Law Group today at (415) – 459 – 7300. We can help you start the process towards getting justice and be there with you every step of the way. We are here to help you.

What is Monsanto?

Monsanto was the company that patented and produced Roundup. Founded in 1901, the agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation was headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri. In business from 1901 to 2018, it was then bought out by the pharmaceutical group Bayer in a $66 billion merger.
Monsanto is known for its agricultural work in gene editing with the introduction on genetically modified plants in 1983. From there, the company launched into genetically modified crop, a section of its business that thrived until 2002, when it decided to focus on biotechnology instead. Monsanto is credited as one of the first companies to use biotechnology in agriculture, which contributed to a worldwide backlash against genetically modified organisms (GMOS).
The company has been accused multiple times of having a strangle hold on its crops and the seeds they produce. With the introduction of Roundup resistant crops, the company further integrated its product into the agriculture community and created a dependency on both the seeds and its weed killer. After all, after years of casually and regularly spraying the Roundup, crops vulnerable to the toxins in Roundup would potentially die in a field laced with the weed killer.
The company in its independent form no longer exists at it was bought out by Bayer in June of 2018 following a variety of scandals including claims of false advertising in New York and recent lawsuits concerning its flagship product, Roundup.

What is in Roundup?

Roundup is used by people in over 160 countries to kill weeds in its yards, fields, and gardens. While the specific quantities and exact recipe used to make the compound isn’t available to the public, Roundup is made with a mix of glyphosate salts and surfactants, which work together to kill the plants it comes into contact with.
Roundup also contains something called surfactant polyethoxylated tallow amine, which can be extremely toxic to aquatic creatures. This chemical was one of the first to be identified as dangerous, and concern for aquatic life led to the first deep inquiry into the potential hazards of Roundup. Unfortunately for those now suffering as a result of Roundup exposure, the findings of these initial studies didn’t take the steps necessary to protect humans.
Roundup can be poisonous if drunk or taken in a large dose deliberately. Depending on the type used and how it’s diluted, a single batch of Roundup can be more or less toxic than any other batch. Additionally different brands types of similar products can have different toxicity levels, depending on the formula.
An exposure to large doses of Roundup can cause a myriad of issues that include burns, damage to the liver and kidneys, respiratory distress, impaired consciousness, arrhythmia, and cancer, just to name a few issues. While the average gardener need not worry about the dangers of being exposed to small quantities of Roundup, not everyone is as safe.
After decades of aggressive advertising campaigns promoting the effectiveness and safety of the weed killer, Monsanto convinced farmers and groundskeepers across the globe to use as much of the chemical as possible. This push caused employees to be exposed to gallons of Roundup every day, and for many, this use had life-altering and even fatal consequences.
If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer after being exposed to Monsanto’s Roundup, you are not alone, and you deserve to have your case heard. The team at Brady Law Group are here to defend your rights and ensure Monsanto is held accountable for its actions.

Why is Monsanto Being Sued?

Many Roundup users have since developed non– Hodgkin’s lymphoma, b-cell lymphoma, leukemia, and other forms of cancer. Current research has also linked certain chemicals within Roundup to an increased risk of cancer. This development alone is not enough to bring down the company however. Had they not known about the risk, the chance of a costly legal battle would have been severely reduced.
However, recently released court documents suggest that the company was aware of the dangers inherent in Roundup and chose not to warn its consumers. No warning label or other hazard threat was included on the packaging, and now those who suffered injuries or lost a loved one are accusing of Monsanto of underreporting the dangers to protect its own bottomline.
In 1996, Monsanto was also accused of falsely advertising the safety of its glyphosate products. At the time, Monsanto claimed that the glyphosates were “safer than table salt” and that its product left the soil clean, even going to far as to say it was “biodegradable.” Not long after, it was proven that Roundup was and is toxic to aquatic life and that the environment is often much worse off after being exposed to the weedkiller. Monsanto was found to be guilty of false advertising in 2007 and was forced to remove the misleading advertisements from the state.
Over 4,000 people are currently Monsanto because of injuries and fatalities suffered as a result of Roundup use and the company’s commitment to denying the dangers. Currently, only one of these cases has succeeded in holding the company accountable and forcing them to recognize their liability in Roundup causing cancer amongst users. This singular success shows just how difficult the cases against Monsanto will be to win, but it is possible if you have the right California legal team at your side.

Dewayne Johnson vs. Monsanto

Dewayne Johnson is the only individual to win a lawsuit against Monsanto. Johnson worked began work as groundskeeper in a school district in Benicia. Starting in 2012, he used Roundup and other weed killers every day for long periods of time, sometimes spraying over 150 gallons of Roundup and RangerPro a day.

In 2014, Johnson was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a blood cancer in which the patient can experience fever, night sweats, weight loss, enlarged lymph nodes, and exhaustion. This cancer can be extremely devastating because its treatment depends entirely on how fast or slow the cancer spreads, which can make administering the right treatment difficult or impossible.
When he was diagnosed, Johnson began to realize that his constant and prolonged exposure to Roundup had caused his cancer and that Monsanto had done nothing to warn him or others about this deadly consequence. In a San Francisco, he and his lawyer argued that Monsanto acted in a malicious manor by not properly warning its consumers including Johnson, that Roundup could potentially cause cancer.
The jury agreed that Monsant had failed to protect its consumers and awarded Johnson $289 million in punitive damages on August 10th, 2018. Though this settlement has recently been reduced and Monsanto is asking for an appeal, this victory is the first stage in holding Monsanto accountable for its negligent behavior and sacrifice of customer safety to protect company profits.
With one case having won against Monsanto, other cases now have a better chance of also winning and holding Monsanto accountable for their reckless behavior. However, even with this success, the long-term consequences of Monsanto’s actions will be life-altering for those most affected. Johnson’s case, though a victory to many, does not have a happy ending: he is still dying, and may not live to see the ultimate verdict and receive his settlement.
A cancer diagnosis is not something you should ever delay treatment for, and, if an exposure to Roundup contributed to you developing cancer, you shouldn’t hesitate to contact a Los Angeles attorney to help hold Monsanto responsible.

Does Monsanto’s Weed Killer Cause Cancer?

The biggest question people have when it comes to the legal cases against Monsanto is whether or not Roundup does cause cancer. For casual users who use Roundup to maintain their yard, current studies suggest they are safe and should not worry about developing cancer. Those who work as field hands, in agriculture, or as groundskeepers may not be so lucky however.
In 2015, a study regarding the safety of glyphosate was conducted and released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which operates under the World Health Organization. This assessment looked at five different pesticides that are readily available on the market and studied their potential to be harmful to the short and long-term health of those who used them. By the end of the study, the International Agency for Research on Cancer determined that glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic to humans.” These findings demonstrated a positive link between glyphosate and cancer in humans.
While the International Agency for Research on Cancer stands by its findings and defend them against those who disagree, they recently lost a strong ally: The Environmental Protection Agency. The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, claimed back in 1995 that glyphosate should be labeled as something that is probably carcinogenic to humans.
In the past few years however, the EPA has altered its stance and now argue that it is safe as long as the directions for its use are followed closely. In December of 2017, the EPA went on to say that pesticides containing glyphosate also are of no harm to animals. Before public opinion have even begun to shift on this issue however, it came to light that the EPA’s recent retreat could have been influenced by Monsanto itself.
Recent unveiled documents suggest that Monsanto has been trying to cover up the potential harms of the glyphosate central to its products. Some documents even suggest that people at Monsanto ghostwrote many scientific papers that attempted to prove that glyphosate is safe. These papers were then used by the EPA to determine that glyphosate was not carcinogenic and to retract their early statement.
These are not the actions of a company unaware of the risks associated with its products. If Monsanto truly believes that Roundup and the glyphosate in it are not dangerous, why go through the trouble of ghostwriting papers and misleading the EPA? If the facts supported the company’s positions, this misdirection would not have been necessary. Instead, Monsanto chose to mislead its consumers and attempt to lie to government regulators so it could protect its own bottom line.
Monsanto cannot be allowed to shirk its responsibility to its customers and others exposed to the toxic chemicals in its products. With an experienced legal team at your side, you can ensure that Monsanto is faces the consequences of its actions and your story is heard and defended.

Who May Have Been Exposed to Roundup?

Roundup has been used in almost every county and every state. It permeates through our food and our yards. Anyone could have been exposed to the chemical, and there are several different ways you could have come into contact with Roundup, some of which include:

Your Neighbor: If your neighbor uses Roundup, there’s a high chance you’ve been exposed to it as well. Roundup can end up in your yard if it flows through the water runoff, your neighbor accidentally sprays part of your yard, or by being carried in the wind. While these small levels of exposure aren’t likely to cause cancer, the long-term effects of Roundup are not carefully studied and it’s better that you limit your exposure as much as possible.

Your Air: Roundup is a popular herbicide for many farmers and others who are in the agriculture industry. Depending on the time of year, these herbicides may be sprayed in large quantities over long distances. If you are in a close proximity of these sprays, you could end up breathing in these toxins. Similarly, if you live near a farm, you may be exposed to these toxins in the air as well.
Your Food: Roundup is used as a herbicide on many agriculture products, and the chemicals in Roundup have been found on a high percentage of the plants we eat every day. These plants can come from the grocery store, from the farmers market, or from your neighbor next door. The only ways you can try your best to avoid these chemicals is to either buy from a farm that uses organic methods altogether or doesn’t use Roundup, or to plant your fruits and vegetables yourself so that you know what is being used to control the weeds growing near your crops.
Your Job: For many of those currently pursuing legal acton against Monsanto, their exposure to Roundup came with their job. Field hands and agriculture workers are the most vulnerable people when it comes to the dangers of this weedkiller. After spending days, months, and years in direct contact with the chemical, many developed cancer as a result and now face an uncertain future as they pursue action against Monsanto. If you worked in agriculture or as a groundskeeper, you likely came into contact with Roundup and should seek out medical attention as soon as possible to ensure your own health.
If you are around Roundup continuously or are consuming large amounts of foods that might have chemicals on them, your likelihood of developing an illness or cancer substantially increase. If your exposure to Roundup caused you to develop cancer, you have a right to take legal action against the company, and we at Brady Law Group can help.

You May have a Case Against Monsanto If:

You Used Roundup: If you worked as a gardener or a farmer, you have probably been exposed to large quantities of Roundup. This is one of the key factors in cases against Monsanto. Since most scientific papers attribute cancer to prolonged exposure to these herbicides, showing that you have been using and exposed to Roundup for long periods of time will help your case.
You Developed Cancer After Being Exposed to Roundup: Specific cancers are attributed to Roundup exposure. If you’ve developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, b-cell lymphoma, or leukemia after coming into prolonged contact with Roundup, you may be able to sue the company for the cost of your medical care, lost wages, and the pain and suffering you and your family have had to endure.

California Monsanto Lawsuit Attorney

Since its beginning at the turn of the 20th century, Monsanto has continued to operate with impunity. After being patented in 1970 and released to consumers in 1973, Roundup has spread around the globe and potentially acted as a carcinogen for thousands of people who thought they were safe. If Monsanto knew about these dangers and attempted to cover it up to protect their shareholders and their own bottom line, they have acted in a negligent and reckless manner. Their customers deserve better treatment and to trust in the safety of the products they use every day.
If you believe you are the victim of Monsanto’s Roundup and its unlabeled hazards, you may be entitled to seek compensation for your injuries. In addition, the families of those who lost their lives to the dangers of this weed killer can still pursue a legal case to ensure the memory of their family member is given justice they deserve.
At the Brady Law Group, we are ready to hear your case and work with you every day to defend your rights against Monsanto. We know how frustrating and scary it can be to suffer due to the ignorance of a large corporation, and we are ready to help you fight against those who have harmed you. If you would like to discuss your case with one of our qualified and experienced California lawyers about your case against Monsanto, call us today at (415) – 459 – 7300. We are waiting to hear from you!