Roundup Lawsuit

Roundup is a herbicide that contains glyphosate, which is a chemical that kills weeds. Glyphosate herbicide is widely used in agriculture because it is cost-effective and effectively kills unwanted plants. Roundup was first introduced to the market in 1974 and was created by Monsanto. In 2018, Monsanto was acquired by another company named Bayer. 

Glyphosate works by attacking an enzyme called EPSP synthase. Roundup attempts to stop EPSP synthase, which will prevent weeds from producing growth proteins. When weeds no longer have the ability to produce the enzyme, they die off within a few days of exposure. Only plants have EPSP synthase, and so Monsanto claimed that Roundup causes no harm to pets and people and only kills the intended target(s).

In 2017, the public gained further insight into the situation when unsealed court documents related to the Roundup lawsuits showed some undermining tactics. The most damaging document found that someone at Monsanto reached out to an employee at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in an attempt to sway the investigations in favor of the company. At this time, that employee no longer works at the EPA. However, other environmental groups have stated that the EPA may have shown a bias by not properly assessing the actual safety of glyphosate.

In December 2017, Nathan Donley, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, stated that the EPA provided a biased assessment of Roundup. He further noted that the EPA’s evaluation failed to meet the standards set by independent research. Because of the incomplete assessment, people never had a thorough understanding of the risks of using glyphosate. Donley went on to explain that there was only one way to determine if glyphosate posed no serious risks. He said the EPA needed to analyze industry-standard studies even if that meant putting aside its own guidelines to follow when attempting to estimate potential cancer risks from using glyphosate.

• 2018 – A jury awarded the plaintiff, Dewayne Johnson, with $289 million – the trial judge ended up reducing the amount to $78 million. 
• March 2019 – A jury sided with another plaintiff. He developed cancer and stated that Roundup caused it. The jury agreed and awarded him $80 million. 
• May 2019 – Alva and Alberta Pilliod, a California couple who had both been diagnosed with lymphoma, were awarded $2 billion after being presenting evidence that Roundup caused their cancer.
• August 2019 – All of the Roundup victims who pursued lawsuits in California have won three court cases against Monsanto. The company will go to court again in St. Louis, the company’s headquarters. Currently, seven trials will take place between August 2019 and February 2020. On Aug. 19, 2019, the case of Sharlean Gordon vs. Monsanto started. While in her 50’s, a doctor diagnosed Gordon with cancer, which she claims Roundup caused.
• June 2020 – Bayer announced on June 24, 2020, a $10 billion settlement to resolve most of Monsanto’s current and potential future Roundup lawsuits. The settlement negotiations involved 25 different leading law firms and two plaintiff law firms that led the California state court bellwether cases and the federal multidistrict litigation. The $10 billion settlement is expected to bring closure to over 75% of the company’s Roundup lawsuits, which include an estimated 125,000 unfiled and filed lawsuits. Victims could receive payments between $5,000 and $250,000, depending on how strong their case is.
• February 2021 –  Bayer agreed to a $2 billion settlement for future Roundup claims. The settlement will cover victims who have been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and were exposed to Roundup before their diagnosis. Victims who were exposed to Roundup and develop cancer in the future also benefit from this settlement.