Roundup Lawsuit Update 2022

Roundup Lawsuit Attorneys

Thousands of people have filed lawsuits against the manufacturer of Roundup, Monsanto, alleging that it causes cancer.

Juries have agreed and awarded staggering verdicts of $2 billion, $289 billion, and $80 million against the Big Pharma giant Bayer AG that owns Monsanto.

Bayer recently announced that it will pay over $10 billion to settle Roundup claims. There is limited time to file a lawsuit.

If you or a loved one developed cancer due to Roundup weed killer, you might have a valid claim for damages against its manufacturer.

The active ingredient in the product is glyphosate, which is classified as a probable carcinogen. Tens of thousands of people exposed to glyphosate have ended up developing cancer.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuits claim that Monsanto failed to warn users of the known increased risk of developing Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma from exposure to Roundup.

Increasingly, the lawsuits are revealing that, despite knowing for decades that Roundup could cause cancer, Monsanto hid the truth from the American public.

A local Louisville lawyer recently helped prove that Roundup caused her client’s non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma which resulted in a massive $80 million verdict against Monsanto.

For more than half a century, the accomplished personal injury attorneys of Gerling Law have fought passionately to help their clients who have been harmed through no fault of their own and deserve compensation for their injuries.

Contact Gerling Law today for a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our knowledgeable Roundup lawyers. We will thoughtfully listen to your story and evaluate the details of your case to determine whether we can help you.

If so, we will zealously represent you by holding the companies accountable for the damage they caused to an untold number of Americans and help you receive the maximum compensation you deserve for your injuries and suffering.

What Is Roundup?

Initially manufactured by Monsanto, Roundup was first introduced in the 1970s. Its popularity has increased over the years, and it is now one of the most popular herbicides on the market.

By 2007, Roundup was the most used herbicide in the U.S. Roundup’s agricultural-grade products’ growth continues to grow exponentially.

According to estimates by the U.S Geological Survey, the use of glyphosate on crops in 1992 was around 13.9 million pounds. By 2016, that number grew to 287 million pounds.

In the late 1990s, Roundup’s popularity skyrocketed even more with the introduction of Roundup Ready crops.

From the introduction of Roundup Ready crops through 2016, the global glyphosate usage increased by more than 15 times. The U.S. made up 72% of the usage during that time.

Bayer acquired Monsanto in June 2018 for $63 billion. Today, Roundup is one of the flagship products, accounting for a significant amount of its profits.

While the acquisition is complete and Bayer has dropped the Monsanto name in some regions, Monsanto will continue to operate as a separate legal entity in some countries.

Why Is Roundup Dangerous?

The active herbicide in Roundup is glyphosate, which has been linked to cancer in humans. This product is used by gardeners, agricultural workers, farmers, maintenance workers, and more.

Monsanto has continually denied any health risks from exposure, including that Roundup causes cancer. Monsanto went so far as to run ads indicating that Roundup is safer than table salt.

However, studies have shown that repeated or high levels of glyphosate exposure can cause life-threatening medical problems, including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Dangers of Glyphosate In Roundup

Glyphosate is commonly found in herbicides because it will target certain enzymes in weeds to kill them without any risk to other plants. Those who use Roundup regularly, like landscapers or farmers, are exposed to higher levels of glyphosate.

Exposure is not limited to breathing in the product while spraying crops either. Studies have shown detectable levels of glyphosate in a variety of popular food products.

Researchers found glyphosate contamination in 80% to 90% of commonly eaten wheat-based products like pasta, pizza, and crackers. Monsanto genetically engineered some foods to withstand Roundup effects, like corn and soybeans.

Other products like lentils, wheat, oats, and barley are sprayed just before harvest as glyphosate will kill the crops and dry them out. This process allows farmers to harvest the crops sooner than if they died naturally.

Contamination has even been reported in other products like wines and beers. Even wineries that don’t use herbicides are finding trace amounts of glyphosate in the rainwater due to its use in conventionally farmed agricultural land.

Glyphosate was classified as a probable human carcinogen in March 2015 after the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reviewed published data investigating the association between glyphosate and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Previous scientific studies affirmed IARC’s decision.

Cancer Risks In Roundup

In 2008, researchers concluded that glyphosate exposure doubled a person’s chances of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma following a study of Swedish citizens who were exposed to a number of pesticides.

A relationship between exposure to glyphosate and B cell lymphoma was also found in 2014 after researchers studied 44 different scientific publications covering 32 years’ worth of data on non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and pesticide exposure.

More recently, researchers at the University of Washington studied the relationship between non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and high, long-term exposure to glyphosate in February 2019.

They found that high exposure to glyphosate increased a person’s risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma by 41%.

People started noticing the damage that resulted from using Roundup.  In 2015, Chicago stopped spraying Roundup in public areas in 2015.

Additional Illinois cities with glyphosate bans or restrictions are Evanston, Franklin Park, Naperville, and Urbana.

Common Injuries From Roundup

Cancer is the primary health condition linked to Roundup exposure. Anyone who has regular contact with Roundup or another weed killer containing glyphosate has a higher risk of developing cancer.

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is the leading type of cancer associated with glyphosate, but there may be others as well. Some Roundup users have reported related cancer types, including:

• Lymphoblastic lymphoma,
• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia,
• Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma,
• Anaplastic large cell lymphoma,
• T-cell lymphoma,
• Follicular lymphoma,
• Burkitt lymphoma,
• Mantle cell lymphoma, and
• Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia.

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma attacks your lymphatic system with the development of tumors from lymphocytes. Like follicular lymphoma or diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, other related cancers are considered a subtype of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

It’s believed that glyphosate causes cancer through damage to your DNA. If the DNA strand breaks, it can result in genetic damage, allowing cells to mutate and turn cancerous.

Roundup exposure can also lead to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress may cause cancer as well as other conditions like Parkinson’s disease or autism. Some victims have reported issues with chronic inflammation, which can also be a precursor to cancer.

Even limited exposure can cause immediate side effects. Herbicides like Roundup can cause skin or eye irritation. Some people report irritation in their nose and throat after breathing in the spray mist.

If you somehow swallow a product with glyphosate, you might notice burning in your mouth and throat, increasing saliva, nausea and vomiting, and diarrhea. There are reports of fatalities due to intentional ingestion.

Who Has A Claim Against Roundup?

Claims against Roundup are not limited to agricultural workers or landscapers who have consistent exposure to glyphosate, but they are some of the most affected.

Anyone who has been consistently exposed to Roundup could be eligible to file a lawsuit. Some of the highest risk parties include:

• Farmworkers,
• Groundskeepers,
• Avid gardeners,
• Landscapers,
• Nursery workers, and
• Garden center employees.

A majority of lymphoma cases linked to glyphosate occur in older people, typically those 60 years old and over. If you believe you have health conditions related to Roundup weed killer, it’s imperative you seek medical assistance right away.

Roundup Lawsuit Update: 2022

With the ongoing litigation surrounding Roundup’s harmful effects, Roundup remains in the news cycle. If you’re considering filing your own Roundup claim, it helps to know what is going on in the currently pending cases.

With this information, you can get a general feeling as to the success of similar claims.

Even better, this information might give you an idea of what Roundup settlements checks in 2022 might look like. That way, you have a better handle on what to expect as well as what not to expect in your own claim.

Recent Developments

Here is a quick rundown of recent developments.

After acquiring Monsanto and the Roundup brand in 2018, Bayer set up a fund worth $9.6 billion to facilitate the settlement of nearly 125,000 claims pertaining to Roundup and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

At the same time, they announced that they would phase the chemical out of usage in the U.S. The company insists that their phasing out of glyphosate is not related to safety concerns.

This is expected, as admitting the problem could open them up to even more liability. That’s why there still is no warning label on the products. In fact, Bayer’s lack of admission remains an issue in ongoing litigation.

Much of the litigation surrounding Roundup relates to their proposed settlement fund. Among other sticking points, there is controversy surrounding the proposed agreement’s two classes of plaintiffs.

The federal judge overseeing the case is concerned that the proposed agreement’s structure will limit the ability of affected individuals in “Class Two” to fully recover the damages they are due.

How Much Is My Claim Worth?

All claims are not equal. And while we can’t accurately predict how much your claim is worth without assessing the details of your case, we can look at the past to get an idea.

If we divide 2018’s $9.6 billion evenly among 125,000 individuals, each individual claim was worth an average of $76,800.

But please keep in mind that this is just an average. In no way is this estimate a guaranteed predictor of your settlement. Your settlement may be more, but it also may be less.

As we illustrate below, there are a number of factors that affect individual Roundup lawsuit settlement amounts in 2022 and beyond. Again, we ask you to keep in mind that none of this is fully settled.

First, the ongoing litigation we noted earlier may have an impact on this agreement and any future settlement agreements. Second, because of the widespread use of Roundup, there are probably more claims on the way.

Any newly settled Roundup claim can affect the trajectory of subsequent claims.  Luckily, as an injured party, you do have options. If you don’t want to take part in the class action suits, you don’t have to. We can help you file an individual claim to ensure you fully recover the damages you suffered.

How Will They Calculate Settlement Checks in 2022 and Beyond?

In cases like this, a third-party administrator is often appointed to help determine what a reasonable settlement is. To calculate your settlement amount, they look at several factors, including:

• How long you are expected to live (in the absence of cancer);
• The type of cancer you have;
• The amount and scope of medical care you have received; and
• How much exposure to Roundup you were subjected to.

Administrators typically use a point system when assessing these factors. The more points in your claim, the higher your eventual settlement is.

There are, of course, other notable factors that come into play when quantifying your total damages. These considerations include:

• How much money you have spent on medical care;
• The degree of emotional pain and suffering you have experienced;
• Wages lost as a result of the injury; and
• In cases of wrongful death, wrongful death damages.

Regardless of the point system, any settlement should allow you to fully recover these sorts of damages.

Why Isn’t Glyphosate Banned By The Government?

While many people have raised concerns about glyphosate for years, it wasn’t until 2015 that it was recognized as a “probable human carcinogen.”

The IARC concluded there is a probable causal link between herbicides like glyphosate and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The five classifications for chemicals are:

• Group 1 is carcinogenic;
• Group 2A is probably carcinogenic;
• Group 2B is possibly carcinogenic;
• Group 3 is not classifiable; and
• Group 4 is probably not carcinogenic.

Under the IARC findings, glyphosate falls under the second-highest classification, Group 2A. Despite these conclusions, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) holds its position that glyphosate isn’t likely to cause cancer in humans. Therefore, the federal government does not ban it.

Although there is no federal ban on glyphosate, some counties and cities have passed local ordinances banning its use as aforementioned. California was the first state to issue a warning in 2017 when it added glyphosate to its Proposition 65 list of substances and chemicals known to cause congenital disabilities, cancer, or other reproductive harm.

Many people have started petitions in their states, pushing for a glyphosate ban. In the meantime, victims have begun holding Monsanto and Bayer accountable by filing their own Roundup lawsuits.

Joining The Roundup Lawsuit

No one deserves to suffer because of the negligence of a company.  Evidence suggests that Monsanto might not have only been negligent, but was willfully,  knowingly, affirmatively, and actively concealing safety information concerning Roundup and glyphosate and the risks associated with the use of, and/or exposure to, it from the public.

Monsanto started collaborating with the EPA in 2015 in order to stall a potentially negative report being written by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) according to documents. ATSDR had announced its plans to publish its review of glyphosate just before the publishing of the IARC’s report in which glyphosate was classified as a probable human carcinogen.

Between April 2015 and October 2015, five government employees at the EPA, the National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) worked with Monsanto officials to slow the new glyphosate report that would potentially be released by ATSDR.

Those negatively impacted by Roundup have recognized their right to recover their damages.  Roundup lawsuits are being grouped in multi-district litigation (MDL).  The MDL, titled In re Roundup Products Liability Litigation, is under Judge Vince Chhabria in the Northern District of California.

Though many plaintiffs are choosing to reach settlements with Bayer, there have been three trials to date that have taken place.  Bayer has lost in all three of them.  Each jury found that not only does Roundup cause cancer, but that Bayer actively sought to hide its risks.

The first lawsuit to go to trial was Johnson vs. Monsanto.  The verdict, decided by a unanimous jury in August 2018, was $289 million, $250 million of which was punitive.  Though the reward has been reduced twice, Dewayne “Lee” Johnson and his family are expected to receive around $20 million.

Over $500 Million in Recoveries