Roundup Cancer Lawsuit Update
Spring 2024 – We are still accepting Roundup cancer cases
$2.25 Billion Verdict
In January 2024, $2.25 billion (including $2 billion in punitive damages) was awarded against Monsanto Co. for a 49-year Pennsylvania man diagnosed with cancer after years of using Roundup.
$3.5 Million Verdict
In December 2023, $3.5 million was awarded by to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania jury to Kelly Martel who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma as a result of exposure to Roundup weedkiller. The jury awarded her $462,500 in compensation and another $3 million in punitive damages. The verdict was December 1, 2023.
$175 Million Verdict
In October 2023, $175 million was awarded by a jury in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Ernest Caranci, an 83-year-old man who developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after years of using Roundup weed killer. Mr. Caranci used more than 500 gallons of Roundup between 1989 and 2014 for lawn and garden use, two to three times a week, without protective equipment, which was never recommended by Monsanto. He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and is currently undergoing treatment for the fourth recurrence of his cancer. The verdict was October 27, 2023.
$1.56 Billion Verdict
In November 2023, $1.56 billion was awarded by a jury in Missouri to four (4) plaintiffs who were diagnosed with cancer after exposure to Roundup weed killer. Daniel Anderson of California, Jimmy Draeger of Missouri and Valorie Gunther of New York, were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after using the product for decades and received an award of $61.1 million in compensatory damages. The jury also awarded $500 million to each of them for punitive damages to punish the defendants for harmful behavior. A fourth plaintiff, Jimmy Draeger’s wife Brenda, was awarded $100,000 for harm caused by her husband’s diagnosis. The jury found the companies liable for design defects, negligence and failure to warn about the cancer risks associated with Roundup. The verdict was reached November 18, 2023.
$332 Million Verdict
In November 2023, $332 million was awarded by a jury in San Diego, California to Mike Dennis, a 57 year old man who was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma, also known as mycosis fungoides. Mr. Dennis sprayed Roundup over a 35 year period as he mixed the concentrate back in the mid-80s and then he transitioned into the ready-mix version. The verdict was reached November 1, 2023.
$1.25 Million Verdict
In October 2023, $1.25 million was awarded by a jury in St. Louis, Missouri to John Durnell, who was diagnosed with Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) cancer after decades of exposure to Monsanto’s weed killer, Roundup. Durnell is undergoing chemotherapy and that a reoccurrence of his lymphoma cancer is likely. The verdict was reached October 20, 2023.
$10 Billion Settlement
In June 2020, $10 Billion was offered to settle Roundup cases: NYTimes Roundup Settlement. This follows jury verdicts of $2+ Billion, $289 Million and $80 Million for plaintiffs diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma after regular usage of Roundup weedkiller. Although many firms are no longer accepting cases after the massive settlement, we are!
The settlement covers an estimated 95,000 cases and includes $1.25 billion for potential future claims from Roundup customers who may develop the form of cancer known as non-Hodgkin lymphoma after two or more years of regular usage of the weedkiller. Other types of cancer considered, includes:
- Hairy Cell Leukemia,
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia,
- Anaplastic Large-Cell Lymphoma,
- Angioimmunoblastic Lymphoma,
- Blastic NK-Cell Lymphoma,
- Burkitt’s Lymphoma,
- Burkitt-like Lymphoma (Small Non-Cleaved Cell Lymphoma),
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma,
- Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma,
- Diffuse Large BCell Lymphoma,
- Enteropathy-Type T-Cell Lymphoma,
- Follicular Lymphoma,
- Hepatosplenic GammaDelta T-Cell Lymphoma,
- Lymphoblastic Lymphoma,
- Mantle Cell Lymphoma,
- Marginal Zone Lymphoma,
- Nasal T-Cell Lymphoma,
- Pediatric Lymphoma,
- Peripheral T-Cell Lymphomas,
- Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma,
- T-Cell Leukemias,
- Transformed Lymphomas,
- Treatment-Related T-Cell Lymphomas, and
- Waldenström Macroglobulinemia
The active ingredient in Roundup is a chemical called glyphosate, which is linked to an increased risk of developing Non Hodgkin Lymphoma and other cancers.
Roundup Verdicts
The most significant jury verdicts follow:
- 1/24: $2.25 Billion Verdict (PA)
- 12/23: $3.5 Million Verdict (PA)
- 11/23: $175 Million Verdict (PA)
- 11/23: $1.56 Billion Verdict – 4 plaintiffs (MO)
- 11/23: $332 Million Verdict (CA)
- 10/23: $1.25 Million Verdict (MO)
- 5/19: $2+ Billion verdict to Alva and Alberta Pilliod (CA);
- 3/19: $80 Million verdict to Edwin Hardeman (CA); and
- 8/18: $289 Million verdict to Dwayne Johnson (CA).
Although the verdicts were reduced, all three cases were victories for the plaintiffs. When Bayer acquired Monsanto in June 2018 for $63 billion to create the world’s biggest seed and agrochemical company, it inherited a mountain of legal trouble tied to Roundup. Further details in the Washington Post news report: Judge cuts $2 billion award for couple with cancer to $86.7 million in Roundup lawsuit.
How Can I Know If I Was Exposed?
Exposure to Roundup is typically by one or all of three of these methods:
- Inhalation: Breathing in during spraying or mixing the product,
- Skin contact: Splashing the product on the skin,
- Drinking or eating contaminated glyphosate laced water or food.
Who Is at Risk For Exposure?
Individuals exposed to glyphosate from breathing while spraying or mixing the toxic chemicals or drinking water or eating food contaminated with the products, are most at risk. This includes:
- Farm and Agricultural Workers,
- Equestrian and Ranch Workers,
- Golf Course Maintenance Workers,
- Government Road Maintenance Workers,
- Nursery Employees,
- Landscapers and Gardeners,
- Park and Forestry Workers,
- Sports Turf Management Employees,
- Horticulturists, Arborists, Viticulturists
What are the Symptoms of Cancer?
Common early symptoms of cancer are:
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Unexplained weight loss
- Abdominal pain
- Chest pain
- Fatigue
- Breathing difficulty
- Night sweats
- Fever
- Virus infection
Common Cancer Treatment
- chemotherapy,
- immunotherapy,
- radiation,
- targeted therapy,
- biological therapy,
- stem cell transplant
Other Glyphosate Products
Monsanto earned $4.8 billion in revenue in 2015 from its sales of Roundup, as the most used weed killer on lawns and gardens, golf courses, parks, school playgrounds, and crops in the United States. Over the decades, scientific studies have uncovered the links between pesticides and cancers, including, additional products containing glyphosate:
- Roundup Ultra,
- Roundup Pro,
- Accord,
- Honcho,
- Pondmaster,
- Protocol,
- Rascal,
- Expedite,
- Ranger,
- Bronco,
- Campain,
- Landmaster,
- Fallow Master by Monsanto;
- Glyphomax,
- Glypro,
- Rodeo by Dow AgroSciences;
- Glyphosate herbicide by Du Pont;
- Silhouette by Cenex/Land O’Lakes;
- Rattler,
- Hoss Ultra,
- Showdown by Helena;
- Mirage,
- KleenUp,
- Makaze,
- Mad Dog by Loveland;
- Jury by Riverside/Terra;
- Touchdown by Syngenta.
$2+ Billion Cancer Verdict
$2 billion in punitive damages and $55 million in compensatory damages was awarded to Alva and Alberta Pilliod, a California couple diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. after proving that years of using glyphosate-based herbicides caused their cancers. The couple claimed they used Roundup once a week for nine months of the year over three decades, when they were both diagnosed with cancer in 2011 and 2015 respectively. The California jury delivered their verdict against Bayer on May 12, 2019 after determining that the company’s glyphosate-based weed killer, Roundup, caused their cancers.
$80 Million Cancer Verdict
$80 million was awarded to Edwin Hardeman, who was diagnosed with non Hodgkin lymphoma after years of exposure to weedkiller, Roundup. The jury found that Roundup, a glyphosate-based herbicide, the plaintiffs contend is carcinogenic, was a substantial factor in causing his cancer, and that the corporation is liable.
$289 Million Cancer Verdict
On August 10, 2018, a jury awarded $39 million in compensatory and $250 million in punitive damages, finding that Roundup and Ranger Pro weed killer caused a groundskeeper’s lymphoma cancer. Dewayne Johnson, 46, who alleged Roundup’s glyphosate based weed killer caused him cancer, applied Roundup and Ranger Pro weed killers up to 30 times a year around the school grounds. He was later diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph system that he claims was caused by Roundup and Ranger Pro, both Monsanto glyphosate herbicides. Johnson’s doctors predict he is unlikely to live past 2020. Read the USA News coverage here: Roundup Cancer $289 Million Verdict
The jury found Monsanto failed to warn Johnson and other consumers of the cancer risks posed by its weed killers.Monsanto denies that glyphosate, the world’s most widely used herbicide, causes cancer and says decades of scientific studies have shown the chemical to be safe for human use. Johnson’s case, filed in 2016, was fast-tracked for trial due to the severity of his diagnosis.
This follows a major victory for the plaintiffs that allowed their experts to testify and the lawsuits to move forward. NBC News covered the story here: Judge allows lawsuits claiming Monsanto weed killer Roundup causes cancer to go forward.
Trial Court
Lawsuits alleging Monsanto’s Roundup Weed Killer causes cancer have been centralized in Multi-District Litigation MDL No. 2741 before the Honorable Vince Chhabria. The Plaintiffs allege Roundup weed killer’s ingredient, glyphosate, also found in Ranger and Honcho and many other weed killers, has been linked to cancer. Monsanto failed to warn of known cancer risks, amidst overwhelming research and studies that link glyphosate-based herbicides to non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other cancers.
The first state court lawsuit over Monsanto’s Roundup Weed Killer causing non-Hodgkin lymphoma began June 26, 2018, before Superior Court Judge Suzanne Ramos Bolanos. Dewayne Johnson directly applied Roundup and RangerPro 20 to 30 times a year as a California school groundskeeper from 2012 to 2015. Dewayne received his non-Hodgkin diagnosis in August 2014. Non-Hodgkin starts in the white blood cells (lymphocytes) and the cancer can spread to the rest of the body. Media around the world are reported on this landmark case as noted in the news reports that follow:
- Monsanto’s Roundup weed–killer goes on trial with billions at stake – CBS News
- Man Claims Roundup Weedkiller Gave Him Cancer, Takes Monsanto To Court – Medical Daily
- Man vs. Monsanto: First Trial Over Roundup Cancer Claims Set to Begin – EcoWatch
Reuter’s reports on the Plaintiffs’ claims that Monsanto’s toxicology manager ghostwrote parts of a scientific report in 2013 that was published under the names of several academic scientists and his boss ghostwrote parts of another in 2000. Both reports were used by the EPA to determine that the chemicals in Roundup were safe: Plaintiffs in U.S. lawsuit say Monsanto ghostwrote Roundup studies
Chronology of Roundup
There is damaging information we have uncovered, but due to confidentiality orders, we are barred from disclosing all information to the public. She public information we can reveal includes a brief time line of events as follows:
1974: Monsanto places Roundup weed killer on the market
1976: FDA questions toxicity tests after inspection of Industrial Bio-Test facility. EPA follows up and finds falsification of Roundup data
1983: Three Industrial Bio-Test Executives convicted of fraud
1985: EPA classifies glyphosate as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”
1991: EPA changes classification of glyphosate to “evidence of non-carcinogenicity in humans” but warns that does not mean glyphosate does not cause cancer.
1991: Craven Labs is hired by Monsanto to test glyphosate independently. The owner and employees are convicted of falsifying data for pesticide and herbicide studies.
1995: EPA publishes warning that widespread exposure to glyphosate could cause congestion of the lungs, increased breathing rate, kidney damage and reproductive effects, but evidence of cancer is inadequate.
1996: Monsanto pushes Roundup Ready for seeds resistant to glyphosate. Monsanto is sued in New York for false and misleading ads stating Roundup is “safer than table salt” and “practically non-toxic.” Monsanto agrees to stop ads with that language in NY.
2001: Canadian study found a dose-response link between glyphosate exposure
and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
2003: U.S. study of over 3,400 Midwest farm workers found higher rates of non-
Hodgkin’s lymphoma linked with glyphosate.
2008: Swedish study concludes exposure to glyphosate doubles the risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in less than 10 years.
2014: Three decades worth of studies demonstrate a clear link between Roundup and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
2015: The International Agency for Research on Cancer, an agency of the World Health Organization, concludes that glyphosate should be labeled a Group 2A chemical, as “probably carcinogenic to humans”. Research of cells in utero, concludes that glyphosate causes chromosomal and DNA damage in both animal and human cells.
2015: The International Journal of Cancer confirmed there is a strengthened association between exposure to glyphosate and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Free Medical Legal Consultation
If you have been diagnosed with cancer and have been exposed to one of these pesticides containing glyphosate, Contact Us here or call 1-800-814-4540. There are time limits in each state and case so contact us NOW. We look forward to assisting you with your claim for compensation.