After a week of deliberation, a federal jury in California unanimously found that Monsanto’s weed-killer, Roundup® was a substantial factor in causing non-Hodgkin lymphoma in a California man. Monsanto, which was recently acquired by Bayer, is the manufacturer of the world’s most popular herbicide/weed-killer. This verdict represented the first phase of the trial. The second part of the trial (liability and damages, and, perhaps, punitive damages) began on March 20th. The federal judge presiding over this trial, Judge Chhabria, explained the second phase of the trial to the 6-member jury, “The issues that you will be considering are whether Monsanto is legally liable for the harm caused to Mr. Hardeman and, if so, what the damages should be.”
The cancer patient, who brought suit against the corporate giant, used Roundup® from 1986 to 2012 on his 56-acre property. He alleges that Monsanto knew of the risks of the weed-killer (including an enhanced risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer) and did not warn consumers of these risks. His attorneys argue that Monsanto never conducted long-term studies of the potential cancer risks of Roundup®. Furthermore, it is alleged that Monsanto ignored toxicology studies performed by a toxicologist hired by Monsanto in 1999, after he found that glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup®) could be genotoxic. This scientist recommended that more studies were needed to determine its safety. Additionally, the plaintiff’s side contends that Monsanto went to great lengths to suppress evidence that glyphosate could contribute to developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
This is the first federal court trial for Monsanto and Roundup®. This case is part of a federal multidistrict litigation (MDL) which includes thousands of people alleging their cancer was caused by prolonged use of Roundup®. In August of 2018, Monsanto lost a state court trial resulting in $78 million for the plaintiff. In that case, the jury found that Roundup® likely caused cancer in a school groundskeeper. On March 28, 2019 another California state court trial will begin. There are also 2 additional federal court trials scheduled in the MDL.
Contact Brett if You Were Harmed by Monsanto’s Roundup® Product
Attorney Brett H. Oppenheimer is actively reviewing cases for non-Hodgkin Lymphoma after prolonged exposure to Roundup®. Brett has experience in product liability cases against large corporations, like Monsanto, that are often accused of putting profit above consumer safety. Give him a call at (502) 242-8877 or email Brett using the contact form. He will be glad to talk to you about your case and help you understand the process for pursuing a claim.