Over Two Billion Dollars Awarded to Couple in Monsanto Cancer Lawsuit

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on May 18, 2019

An Alameda County jury has issued yet another massive blow against agribusiness giant Monsanto to the tune of a $2 billion settlement awarded to a California couple who claimed that their cancer was caused by exposure to Roundup, the company’s top-selling glyphosate-based weed killer product.

Monsanto, a subsidiary of German-based chemical & pharmaceutical company Bayer A.G. is no stranger to legal entanglements, with this being the 3rd verdict against them since mid-2018. In this lawsuit specifically, Alva and Alberta Pilliod, a married couple who reside in Livermore, California, alleged that usage of the company’s Roundup Ready herbicide directly caused their non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that they’ve both been battling for over nine years. “It changed our lives forever,” said Mrs. Pilliod. “We couldn’t do things we used to be able to do, and we really resent them for that.” The jury ultimately agreed with them, stating that the company’s product did not properly warn of its cancer risk. They were each awarded over $1 billion in punitive damages, with an additional combined $55 million tacked on for compensatory damages.

Legal representatives for Bayer have stated that they will appeal the Oakland jury’s verdict, hoping to reduce the settlement amount. “We have great sympathy for Mr. and Mrs. Pilliod, but the evidence in this case was clear that both have long histories of illnesses known to be substantial risk factors for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), most NHL has no known cause, and there is not reliable scientific evidence to conclude that glyphosate-based herbicides were the ‘but for’ cause of their illnesses as the jury was required to find in this case,” the company said in a press release on Monday. There are an additional 13,400 lawsuits that have been filed against Monsanto, with a vast majority of them still awaiting trial.

If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma as a result of exposure to Roundup, and are in need of exceptional legal representation, please contact the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham today at 877-FL-INJURY.

Sources:

• Bayer to pay $2 billion after losing suit that claims weedkiller Roundup causes cancer
• California Jury Awards $2 Billion To Couple In Roundup Weed Killer Cancer Trial
• In Latest Roundup Herbicide Defeat for Bayer, Jury Awards California Couple $2 Billion
• Jury: Monsanto to pay $2 billion in weed killer cancer case

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.