Why A $289 Million Verdict Matters To You
On August 10th, 2018, a 46-year-old man named Dewayne Lee Johnson who is currently facing a terminal non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis, won a monumental legal victory in a landmark case. Dewayne Johnson had used Monsanto’s Roundup as often as 30 times a year while he was employed as a landscaper for an entire California school district. The California jury determined that herbicide, developed and manufactured by chemical giant Monsanto, caused Mr. Johnson’s cancer and that the company neglected to warn him of the health hazards from repeated exposure to the weed killer’s main ingredient, glyphosate. The jury ordered Monsanto to pay Dewayne Johnson a grand total of $289 million.
Why Monsanto Lost
This case is considered groundbreaking and landmark because the judge allowed the defendant’s legal team to present scientific arguments about what caused him to develop cancer. They were also permitted to present claims that Monsanto suppressed evidence that showed the varied and dangerous risks of its weed-killing products that contain the chemical glyphosate. Throughout the course of the trial, Mr. Johnson’s attorneys were able to produce internal emails from executives within Monsanto. The emails gave indisputable proof that the multi-billion dollar corporation repeatedly ignored the warnings of experts, only used favorable scientific analyses, and helped ghostwrite research that downplayed the product’s many dangers and encouraged repeated usage of the herbicide. The jury found Monsanto to be responsible for “negligent failure” and deemed that they knew or should have reasonably foreseen that its product was dangerous and grew increasingly so each time it was used.
What Happens Now?
As one might expect, Monsanto vehemently disagreed with the judge’s ruling and has said that it has plans to appeal the court’s decision. In reality, it will probably be years before a final settlement decision is actually reached. Sadly, Dewayne Johnson will most likely not live long enough to receive any type of settlement money. His doctors have stated that he only has a few months left to live. The husband and father of three said he sincerely hopes his suffering will not be in vain. He also hopes that the laws governing warning labels on products will change so that, in the future, people with jobs similar to his will not be left completely in the dark if they are using a product that causes cancer in humans. Bayer, the corporation that recently purchased Monsanto might be having some mixed feelings about its most recent $66 billion purchase. One imagines that Bayer feels a bit like a tired mom whose toddler won’t stop acting out in the supermarket. The new parent company, which wisely plans to discontinue any use of the Monsanto name, is not only acquiring all of Monsanto’s assets but also its liabilities. Thanks to the precedent that has now been set by this court case, the burden is now on the Bayer company to prove that Roundup is safe.
Filing a legal claim for damages related to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma caused by glyphosate or other conditions can be both terrifying and frustrating. You will most likely need to hire a qualified, reputable personal injury lawyer if you need legal representation. Your attorney can help review the facts of your case and can help determine what your next steps should be. We here at the Brady Law Group do not shy away from difficult or complex cases and we go to any necessary lengths to protect the rights of our clients. If you would like a free consultation regarding a Roundup lawsuit that you believe you may have, please reach out to our law firm by calling (866) 211-2562 as soon as possible.
