Roundup Weedkiller Linked to Cancer Risk
Product Liability and Roundup Weedkiller
Weedkillers like Roundup are a common sight in many households and used widely to manage agriculture and landscaping. We all know these chemicals kill weeds and are likely not the best thing to expose your body directly to but lately the possible risks posed by weedkillers such as Roundup have come under scrutiny after
several lawsuits have been filed claiming an ingredient in Roundup called glyphosate helped cause plaintiff's cancer.
One of these lawsuits against the manufacturer of Roundup known as Monsanto has actually managed to successfully recover compensation in the form of $80 million dollars for a man that claims to have gotten lymphatic cancer after heavy use of Roundup on his property.
Legal action has been taken against the chemical companies that make these weedkillers before. The first case was in California where Dewayne “Lee” Johnson filed a lawsuit against Monsanto who is the maker of the weedkiller known as Roundup. The lawsuit revolved around Johnson's claims that he developed lymphatic cancer as a result of his long term exposure to Roundup while working as a groundskeeper. The trial resulted in a verdict of $289.2 million awarded to Dewayne Johnson that was later reduced to $78.5 million and Monsanto filed an appeal shortly after.
Hardeman vs. Monsanto Weedkiller Cancer Case
Lately, a slew of additional cases where people have claimed to have contracted cancer because of exposure to Roundup weedkiller have arisen. The case that seems to have set a new precedent for the matter of weedkiller contributing to cancer risk is the Hardeman vs. Monsanto case. In this case, a man by the name of Edwin Hardeman aged 70 years old had been using Monsanto herbicides in the landscaping of his sizable property for roughly 30 years and was diagnosed with B-cell non-Hodgkins lymphoma. This diagnosis was shortly before the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate, a key ingredient in Roundup, as a “probable human carcinogen”. A judge picked Hardeman's case out of hundreds with similar grievances brought against Monsanto and a federal jury ordered Monsanto, the maker of Roundup, to pay $80 million after they came to the conclusion that Roundup was a “substantial factor” in his illness.
Understanding Glyphosate and Roundup Cancer Risk
It is no secret that long term exposure to pesticides and/or chemicals meant to melt, degrade, kill things, etc. is not exactly good for your health. Things like herbicides and pesticides have long been under scrutiny for the many negative health effects they can have. As time goes on we learn that certain substances that we once thought were safe can have some severe negative health effects after studies are done and scientific breakthroughs are made. In terms of herbicides, weedkillers are the latest to come under fire. This is primarily due to the fact that major herbicides such as Roundup utilize the ingredient glyphosate which has been linked to contributing an increased risk of cancer after exposure.
What is Glyphosate and How can it Harm Me?
Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide and crop desiccant primarily used to kill weeds. It achieves this by targetting the enzymes of the plant that handle its growth and inhibiting said enzymes. The use of glyphosate as an herbicide is incredibly widespread with it being used worldwide to manage weeds that compete with desired plants. Worldwide use of glyphosate has actually increased quite a bit since its introduction in the 70s since Monsanto has developed Roundup ready crops that can resist the herbicide while it kills the surrounding weeds and also because glyphosate-resistant weeds have grown in number and require greater amounts of glyphosate to kill.
Glyphosate was initially believed to not have any negative effects on humans when exposed but recent studies have come to a different conclusion. A study done by analyzing the effects of the glyphosate herbicide was recently published and came to the conclusion that it does increase the chance of cancer in those exposed to 41%. This conclusion was reached after several different studies on the effects of glyphosate on humans were analyzed together. This study is far from the only one done on Glyphosate with many others reaching similar and opposing conclusions. There are those that claim there are no negative effects such as cancer from glyphosate exposure and claim results connecting the two are based purely on correlation. Regardless of this contention, several cases have had rulings where people have been awarded compensation after claiming to have developed cancer after long term exposure to Roundup weedkiller.
Taking Legal Action For Cancer Caused by Heavy Glyphosate Exposure
Those that have had long term exposure to glyphosates are at risk for developing Hodgkin's lymphoma. People in occupations related to agriculture or groundskeeping are at the highest risk. Glyphosates are not restricted only to Roundup weedkiller but a variety of other brands. There are actually 750 different glyphosate-containing products sold in the United States. In addition to Roundup, other glyphosate-containing weedkillers include common ones such as Ortho GroundClear, DowDuPont's Rodeo, Compare-N-Save Concentrate Grass and Weed Killer, RM43 Total Vegetation Control and Ranger Pro Herbicide to name a few sold at major stores like Costco.
If you have been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and you have had long-term exposure to glyphosate-containing weedkillers then you may be able to pursue compensation for the damages you have suffered through a product liability claim. Negligent companies like Monsanto should be held accountable for their actions and those that must endure cancer because of these actions deserve justice.
Seek an Experienced Product Liability Attorney
If you or a loved one have been injured because of a product's negligent design or manufacture, then do not hesitate to contact Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA about a free consultation on your claim. Our skilled lawyers have the expertise you will need to secure the settlement that you deserve. Dolman Law has years of experience when it comes to handling product liability claims and ensuring that our clients receive the compensation that they need in order to pay off their medical expenses, lost wages, etc. When you enlist the assistance of Dolman Law you are ensuring that your case gets the small firm attention it deserves with big firm results.
Contact us at Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA's offices. Please call us at 727-451-6900.
Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA
800 North Belcher Road
Clearwater, FL 33765
727-451-6900
Matthew Dolman
Personal Injury Lawyer
This article was written and reviewed by Matthew Dolman. Matt has been a practicing civil trial, personal injury, products liability, and mass tort lawyer since 2004. He has successfully fought for more than 11,000 injured clients and acted as lead counsel in more than 1,000 lawsuits. Always on the cutting edge of personal injury law, Matt is actively engaged in complex legal matters, including Suboxone, AFFF, and Ozempic lawsuits. Matt is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum for resolving individual cases in excess of $1 million and $2 million, respectively. He has also been selected by his colleagues as a Florida Superlawyer and as a member of Florida’s Legal Elite on multiple occasions. Further, Matt has been quoted in the media numerous times and is a sought-after speaker on a variety of legal issues and topics.
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