Roundup® Lawsuit

What is Roundup?

Roundup is a weed killer manufactured by Monsanto Company and Bayer. Farmers, landscape workers, and homeowners often use Roundup for weed control around crops, lawns, and gardens. 

Roundup’s active ingredient is glyphosate, which has been registered in the U.S. as an herbicide since 1974. Currently, glyphosate-based herbicides are widely available in the U.S. 

However, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has stated that glyphosate is a probable carcinogen (cancer causing substance) and could be linked to cancers such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

Roundup manufacturers Monsanto Company and Bayer have maintained that glyphosate is safe for use. Monsanto and Bayer have several glyphosate-based herbicides. But the allegations have fueled federal multidistrict litigation (MDL) and state court proceedings involving thousands of plaintiffs who claim to have developed cancer caused by Roundup.

Contact a Roundup attorney

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after frequent use, skin exposure, or inhalation of Roundup products, you may have a claim. For more information, complete this online form or call 1.800.768.4026.

Monsanto denies Roundup’s alleged link to cancer

Since its introduction in the 1970s, Roundup has grown into one of the most widely used herbicides on the market.

More than 60% of all glyphosate use in the U.S. occurred between 2004 and 2014. The uptick in use can largely be attributed to the onset of genetically engineered, herbicide-tolerant seeds also developed by Monsanto.

The safety of glyphosate has been called into question for decades. Several U.S. and global agencies have conducted studies and statistical analyses regarding glyphosate’s risks. Early evaluations in the 1980s called glyphosate “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” 

In 2015, the IARC, an agency of the World Health Organization (WHO), re-classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans” after conducting an extensive evaluation of peer-reviewed scientific literature and data.

Monsanto and Bayer have staunchly denied Roundup’s link to cancer. In 2017, various Monsanto emails and documents were brought to public attention during litigation. Internal emails showed Monsanto executives planning to recruit outside scientists to author pro-Roundup studies ghost-written by Monsanto employees. 

Monsanto executive William Heydens wrote about this plan in one 2015 email. “We would be keeping the cost down by us doing the writing and they would just edit & sign their names so to speak," Heydens said. The emails also showed that Monsanto had already used this plan on a 2000 study. 

To this day, Monsanto and Bayer have failed to conduct adequate studies refuting the carcinogenicity conclusions made by the 2015 IARC panel. 

Is Roundup still legal?

Roundup is still legal in the United States. However, soon Roundup formulations containing glyphosate may be less widely available. In 2023, Bayer announced that they would begin producing some Roundup products without glyphosate, particularly products sold in residential markets in the U.S. Monsanto and Bayer will continue to sell glyphosate-based products for commercial use.

Calls for a Roundup ban

There have been worldwide and domestic calls for a ban on glyphosate products. In 2017, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the French government would find alternatives for the chemical. 
He also said he planned to ban the chemical by 2020. In 2020, France announced certain restrictions on glyphosate use and sale. In 2023, a French court banned two glyphosate products entirely. Other countries and locales have made similar bans.

The U.S. has not yet made similar moves toward a ban as glyphosate’s status as a probable human carcinogen has been hotly debated. 

Roundup health risks

Roundup has been linked to many adverse health conditions. The conditions range from slight throat irritation to the more serious non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

The National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) has identified several signs of glyphosate toxicity in humans.

• Ingestion: Difficulty swallowing, gastrointestinal hemorrhage and death in severe cases
• Inhalation: Oral discomfort, nasal discomfort, tingling and throat irritation
• Skin exposure: Eye and skin irritation

Roundup exposure may happen if people are nearby while the product is being sprayed or if they consume contaminated food or water. This can affect agricultural workers, groundskeepers and bystanders.

Studies have also linked Roundup to cancer. One of the most commonly named injuries in Roundup lawsuits is non-Hodgkin lymphoma. 

Various researchers have tried to quantify the risk of developing NHL from glyphosate exposure. One analysis from researchers in the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) found glyphosate increases the risk of NHL by 41%.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can manifest anywhere in the body, including the abdomen, chest, brain and skin. Symptoms can be debilitating, and include, but are not limited to:

• Chest pain or pressure
• Enlarged lymph nodes
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Low red blood cell counts
• Night sweats
• Shortness of breath or cough
• Swollen abdomen
• Weight loss

Roundup users have also reported other cancers, such as b-cell lymphomas, t-cell lymphomas, leukemia and rare subtypes of NHL.

People who have been exposed to Roundup and other glyphosate products may wish to see a doctor to set up cancer screening tests.

If you or a loved one have developed a condition like non-Hodgkin lymphoma and believe it was related to Roundup use, you have options. Roundup lawyers can evaluate your case and discuss your options.

2023 status of MDL Roundup lawsuits

Thousands of Americans have filed Roundup lawsuits. In 2016, the court established a multidistrict litigation docket to handle these cases under one court. As of October 2023, there are 4,237 pending cases in the MDL. 

There have been several large verdicts and settlements in favor of Roundup victims. For example, in 2019 one California couple was awarded $86.7 million. The couple was not represented by Motley Rice.

Some Monsanto Roundup decisions have involved punitive and compensatory damages. Punitive damages are decided by a court as a way to punish defendants for harming others. Compensatory damages are meant to provide compensation for personal injury victims.

Successful Roundup litigation often hinges on Bayer/Monsanto’s alleged failure to warn users of the risks associated with Roundup. This is a common argument in product liability cases.

Roundup attorneys can help Roundup users with cancer collect necessary documents, file a lawsuit for them and litigate the case in court. Successful Roundup cancer lawsuits may end in a settlement agreement or verdict award.

Roundup settlements

Settlements are agreements between the defendant (in this case, usually Bayer and Monsanto) and the plaintiffs (people alleging harm by Roundup). 

Bayer has made settlement offers to multiple plaintiffs; some have been accepted, while others have been rejected. Plaintiffs get to decide if they want to accept or reject a settlement offer. 

Bayer’s 2022 Financial Report shed some light on how many claims have been settled. “We consider that, of the approximately 154,000 claims in total, approximately 109,000 have been settled or are not eligible for various reasons,” the report reads.

The report also revealed that as of December 2022, the company had provisionally set aside $6.4 billion to “resolve existing and future glyphosate claims.”

Our toxic exposure litigation experience

Our attorneys have experience litigating toxic exposure and environmental damage cases for individuals, families, communities and states. Through our cases, we seek justice for our clients and work to improve environmental standards and protections. 

In addition to our Roundup experience, we have represented people exposed to paraquat weed killer. 

We have also obtained a landmark settlement for 10 cities and counties in California that alleged three lead pigment companies created a public nuisance by exposing residents to toxic lead paint. 

Read more on our toxic exposure experience.