What’s At Issue in
the Roundup Lawsuit?

Roundup is an herbicide. The main active ingredient in Roundup is the chemical glyphosate. Roundup was developed and patented by the company Monsanto in the 1970s, and it’s been in use ever since. It is available for both commercial and personal use, and there are no current restrictions on its sale. In 2018, Monsanto sold the Roundup brand to Bayer.

Roundup is currently the best-selling weed killer in the world. You might assume that it’s been thoroughly tested and proven to be safe, but that’s not necessarily the case. In fact, many people believe that Roundup has caused catastrophic health issues and injuries, including lymphoma and other cancers.

Monsanto and Bayer have both claimed that Roundup is safe, using scientific studies as evidence. However, questions have been raised about the validity of some of those studies. There’s evidence that they may have been influenced by Monsanto, so their findings are suspect, to say the least.

In 2015, an agency associated with the World Health Organization stated that glyphosate is likely to cause cancer in humans. Bayer has announced that, as of 2023, Roundup will be reformulated to remove glyphosate from the formula.

However, this is no help to the people who have been harmed by exposure to Roundup. If you believe you’ve gotten sick or been injured by Roundup, the only way to ensure you’re fairly compensated might be by bringing a lawsuit.

Who May Be Affected By Exposure to Roundup?

Anyone who has been exposed to Roundup could potentially face health issues as a result. The group with the highest risk includes people who applied Roundup weed killer on a regular basis, such as agricultural workers and landscapers.

Because it’s in such wide use, even people who have never used Roundup have probably been exposed. A 2022 study found that over 80% of tested Americans had glyphosate present in their urine, which points to the fact that nearly all of us may have been exposed to a high enough level of the chemical for it to have an impact on our bodies.

Often, in a case like this, it’s clear whether exposure has occurred or not. With a chemical like Roundup, it’s much less clear. If you suspect you have medical issues related to exposure to Roundup, you should contact an attorney and have your case reviewed.

What Are Some of the Medical Issues That Have Been Claimed?

The main medical issue associated with Roundup is non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). This is a cancer that affects the lymphatic system. It can cause tumors and sub-cancers throughout the body. Some of the sub-cancers that can be caused by non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma include:

• Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
• Mantle cell lymphoma
• Follicular lymphoma
• Marginal zone lymphoma
• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia

There are many other sub-cancers associated with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. If you suffer from any sort of lymphoma or other cancer, speak with your doctor to find out if it’s associated with NHL. Alternately, your lawyer can provide you with a list of cancers that have been included in the Roundup settlements.

What To Do If You Think You Have a Claim

If you believe you’ve been injured from exposure to Roundup, it’s important that you contact an attorney as soon as possible. You have limited time to bring a case after exposure and/or after you learn you’ve developed health issues. This is known as the statute of limitations, and it varies from state to state. However, don’t assume that your case doesn’t qualify. Even if you suspect it’s beyond the statute of limitations, consult with a lawyer who can review the details of your specific case.

What’s the Current Status of the Lawsuit?

Roundup litigation has been ongoing for quite a while now. The first lawsuit alleging that Roundup increases the risk of cancer was brought in 2015. The first lawsuit to go to trial was in 2018. The plaintiff won, and Monsanto (Bayer) was required to pay around $20 million. In 2019, there were two additional major cases regarding the use of Roundup. They both resulted in multi-million dollar settlements.

The largest case is a multi-district litigation (MDL) suit. MDLs are similar to class action lawsuits, where plaintiffs combine their cases against a single company. It is currently ongoing.

New lawsuits are being brought against Monsanto (Bayer) at this time. This is still a very active area of litigation, and there’s definitely time to bring a suit if you feel you’ve been harmed.

What Are the Next Steps?

Because this is ongoing litigation, and due to the statute of limitations, it’s important to act quickly if you think you have a case.