Roundup Lawsuit Attorneys

More than 18,000 Roundup lawsuits are underway, and a key ingredient (glyphosate) wholly or partly banned in nations around the world. Products like Roundup, which contain glyphosate, have been linked to non-Hodgkin lymphoma and leukemia. Monsanto continues to insist that its weed killer is safe.  However, many organizations, including the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), disagree with Monsanto’s assertion that its product is safe.

If you have been diagnosed with cancer as a result of Roundup exposure, we can help. The nationally recognized team at Foote, Mielke, Chavez & O’Neil, LLC has the knowledge and experience necessary to skillfully handle complex litigation in both state and federal courts. Contact us at 630-232-7450 to learn more or to schedule a free consultation.

How Widespread is Roundup Use?

Glyphosate is the active herbicide in Roundup®, a weed killer invented by Monsanto and used in farming, landscaping, groundskeeping and as a general weed killer since the 1970’s.

Over the past two decades, Roundup® Weedkiller sales increased dramatically, in part due to Monsanto’s 2007 introduction of a new type of genetically modified seed- Roundup® Ready crops. The Roundup® ready crops are genetically modified to be resistant to glyphosate so that the weed killer won’t damage the crops.  As a result, farmers use of Roundup® exploded. For example, by 2017, nearly 93% of US Corn, Soybean and Cottonseed crops were genetically modified. In 1997, only 11% were genetically modified.  Nearly 300 million pounds of glyphosate are applied to US crops each year.

 

With nearly 27 million acres of farmland in Illinois, it’s no surprise that glyphosate-based herbicide use is common. But, you may be surprised to learn that Illinois uses more glyphosate than any other state. Monsanto, the world’s leading producer of seeds, helps to ensure the continued and liberal use of Roundup by manufacturing “Roundup Ready” seeds that produce plants engineered to withstand heavy usage of glyphosate.

Glyphosate became the most used herbicide in the agriculture industry in the United States.

 With nearly 27 million acres of farmland in Illinois, it’s no surprise that glyphosate-based herbicide use is common. But, you may be surprised to learn that Illinois uses more glyphosate than any other state. Monsanto, the world’s leading producer of seeds, helps to ensure the continued and liberal use of Roundup by manufacturing “Roundup Ready” seeds that produce plants engineered to withstand heavy usage of glyphosate.

Roundup-related cancer risk is not limited to just farmers. While those who spray glyphosate-based herbicides in their work, are at the greatest risk, the exact range of Roundup exposure, and the risks associated with eating fruits and vegetables that have been sprayed with glyphosate, have not yet been determined. High-risk Occupations include:

  • Farm workers,
  • Agricultural workers,
  • Highway workers,
  • Greenhouse and garden center workers,
  • Landscapers,
  • Greenskeepers (golf-courses, etc.) and
  • Groundskeepers.

What Evidence is There that Roundup is Dangerous?

The first evidence that Roundup and glyphosate-based products were dangerous emerged in 1985, just 11 years after Roundup hit the market. Based on that study, which indicated an increase in kidney tumors in male mice, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) briefly classified glyphosate as a Possible Human Carcinogen. In the years since, that classification has been changed multiple times, landing in 2015 at “Not Likely to Be Carcinogenic to Humans.” However, that same year, IARC deemed glyphosate a “probable carcinogen.”

As research continues, evidence that Roundup causes or contributes to certain types of cancer continues to mount. Early in 2019, a University of Washington study revealed that glyphosate exposure increases the risk of developing some cancers by more than 40%. In particular, researchers concluded that the link between glyphosate and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma was stronger than previously believed.

Governments around the world took the IARC classification and other emerging evidence to heart. As of the fall of 2019, at least 17 countries have banned or restricted the use of glyphosate. Local governments around the U.S. have also banned Roundup. By way of example, Los Angeles County, Seattle, Austin, Miami, and Portland, Maine have all restricted or prohibited the use of glyphosate-based herbicides.  Nevertheless, 287 million pounds of glyphosate are used in the U.S. annually.

Juries are Holding Monsanto Accountable

Though Roundup manufacturer Monsanto and its parent company, Bayer, continue to deny that Roundup exposure is dangerous, courts are reaching a different conclusion. In the first half of 2019 alone, three courts returned verdicts in favor of victims of Roundup cancer.

  • A San Francisco jury awarded $289 million to a former school groundskeeper who contracted Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The court found that his cancer was attributable at least in part to the use of glyphosate, which he had regularly sprayed on the fields.
  • A federal court determined that Roundup caused cancer in a man who used the glyphosate-based herbicide on his properties for three decades, awarding him $80 million in damages.
  • A state court in California awarded more than $2 billion in damages to a couple who both contracted Non-Hodgkin lymphoma after using Roundup for decades in their landscaping business.

Most of the damages in the case of the landscaping couple were punitive, meaning that the jury determined that the company acted with malice.

Did Roundup Exposure Make You Sick?

If you were exposed to Roundup in high concentrations or over a long period of time and have been diagnosed with cancer, you owe it to yourself and your family to speak with an experienced Illinois product liability attorney and learn more about your rights. Monetary may include reimbursement for or payment of medical expenses, compensation for pain and suffering, compensation for surviving family members, and even punitive damages.

When you fight back against a company that put toxic substances on the market and continues to manufacture and distribute those chemicals, you don’t just protect yourself and your family. You help increase the chances that the company will decide to take steps to reduce the risk to the public, or to discontinue the product entirely.

If you’ve been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma or another type of cancer and have reason to believe exposure to Roundup may have contributed to your illness, take the first step right now. Call us at 630-232-7450 or fill out the contact form on this site to schedule your free case evaluation. We will work with you to schedule your consultation at a convenient time, and if necessary may be able to meet with you in your home, at the hospital, or in another location.

 

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