Earlier this week, a jury ordered Monsanto to pay more than $2 billion to a California couple who claim long-term exposure to Roundup caused an aggressive form of cancer. This is the third – and largest – verdict to link the popular weed killer with cancer; more than 13,000 other plaintiffs have claims against the chemical manufacturer and thousands of others are expected to be filed.
The jury awarded $2 billion in punitive damages and $55 million in compensatory damages to plaintiffs Alberta and Alva Pilliod, who claim that decades of spraying their four properties with the chemical agent led to their ongoing battles with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
After a five-week trial, the jury found Monsanto liable because it failed to warn consumers about potential cancer-causing agents in Roundup, among other offenses. The decision follows two other verdicts against the company for $80 million and $289 million, which was reduced to $78.5 million.
While Monsanto and its parent company, Bayer, deny that their product causes cancer, multiple scientific studies point to the potential carcinogenic effects of glyphosate, an herbicide found in Roundup. In February, a team from the University of Washington found that glyphosate increases the risk of some cancers by more than 40 percent. In 2015, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer recognized the compound’s high probability as a carcinogenic to humans.
These verdicts against Monsanto mark significant steps forward in holding the company accountable for the safety of its consumers – but recognizing the prevalence and scope of Roundup use across the country, the fight will continue until the company takes full responsibility.
At Luvera Law Firm, we are advocates for victims of manufacturers’ unsafe practices. Our experienced and dedicated attorneys battle to get answers, justice and compensation for consumers like those harmed by the cancer-causing agents in Monsanto’s Roundup.
If you or a family member have been affected by this issue, you can reach out to us by phone at (206) 467-6090; or through our contact page.
Photo Credit: Associated Press
