RSSCancer Victims of Monsanto’s Roundup to Receive $10 Billion Settlement
After years of litigation, German chemical and pharmaceutical giant Bayer is finally following through with its legal responsibilities. On Wednesday, June 24th, 2020, the company announced their plans to settle thousands of lawsuits brought forth by victims who alleged that they contracted cancer after using the weedkiller Roundup, which is manufactured by Monsanto – a subsidiary of Bayer. The monumental multi-billion dollar payout is one of the largest settlements in United States history.
Originally acquired by Bayer back in 2008 for a reported $66 billion, the agrochemical company Monsanto is most commonly known for its popular weedkiller Roundup, a glyphosate-based herbicide. For over forty years, Roundup has been used predominantly for agricultural industries including residential & commercial landscaping and large-scale farming. Unbeknownst to its users and certainly not warned by Monsanto itself, the key ingredient in the weedkiller included glyphosate, which was causing a rare type of cancer called non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
In August 2018, the same year that Monsanto was purchased by Bayer, a California jury awarded groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson approximately $290 in damages after they discovered that the company failed to warn its consumers of the health risks of using their products. A judge would eventually reduce the settlement amount to $78 million, believing that the original number was far too high. It is important to note that this case is separate and is not included in the announcement from earlier this week.
According to a press release from Bayer, this massive settlement of nearly $10 billion “will bring closure to approximately 75% of the current Roundup litigation involving approximately 125,000 filed and unfiled claims overall.”
Bayer still makes no admissions of liability or wrongdoing and will continue to sell Roundup. The company stands by the fact that they believe the weedkiller to be safe. They have since removed the Monsanto brand name from all of their products.
If you or a loved one have suffered due to the adverse effects of Roundup weedkiller, please contact the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham, P.A. at 877-FL-INJURY. We are currently offering free 30-minute case evaluations.
Sources:
- Bayer reaches over $10 billion settlement in Roundup cancer lawsuits
- Bayer settles lawsuits from cancer patients over Roundup weed killer with a $10 billion agreement
James O. Cunningham
Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.
Mr. Cunningham is an excellent and knowledgeable attorney.