Statement on Roundup Cancer Lawsuits
Since its creation by the Monsanto Company in 1974, Roundup has become the most widely used herbicide in the world. There are many products under the Roundup umbrella, and in 2015 these made up nearly $1.9 billion of Monsanto’s $4.7 billion in sales. However, this product of worldwide-fame has been found to contain a chemical that is linked to non-Hodgkin lymphoma known as glyphosate.
What is Glyphosate?
Glyphosate is a chemical that kills weeds by blocking proteins that are necessary for growth. It is especially effective in killing weeds such as poison ivy and dandelions. This chemical’s use as an herbicide has grown greatly in recent years due to the development of crops that are resistant to its effects. It is estimated that more than 1.4 billion pounds of glyphosate are used around the world. However, in 2015, the International Agency for Research and Cancer (IARC) listed glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans.”
Negative Effects of Glyphosate Products
The IARC drew a connection between the agricultural use of products containing glyphosate and lymphoma in the U.S., Canda, and Sweden dating back to 2001. Another study from 2004 found that 3,400 midwest farmers that had been exposed to glyphosate had higher rates of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The EPA is currently reviewing glyphosate to determine if “probably human carcinogen” labels will be necessary on products like Roundup.
Other studies have found that glyphosate has other hazardous, non-cancerous effects. It can cause reproductive issues such as miscarriages, and even liver or kidney damage, according to EcoWatch.
Roundup Lawsuits
Since 2016, thousands of farmers and landscapers have filed lawsuits against Monsanto claiming that exposure to glyphosate in Roundup has caused them to develop non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
In fact, in May of 2019, a jury in California awarded Alva & Alberta Pilliod $2.055 billion after they developed aggressive cancer after using Roundup products for decades. The Pilliod’s attorney stated multiple times during the trial that if the Pilliods had known Roundup has the potential to cause cancer, they would have never touched it. This was the 3rd of 13,000 cases related to round up to go to trial in the U.S.
As of June 24th, 2020, Bayer, the world’s largest seed and pesticide maker, agreed to pay more than $10 billion to settle tens of thousands of claims in the United States that its popular weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. This figure includes $1.25 billion to deal with potential future claims from people who used Roundup and may develop the form of cancer known as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the years to come.
Reynolds & Reynolds would like to thank the IARC and many other organizations for their efforts in studying this growing issue. We hope that the EPA will make the correct decision in regards to labeling Roundup to reflect the potentially life-threatening hazards that come with using it.
For more information, or to speak with one of our dedicated attorneys, please contact Reynolds & Reynolds today!
