Roundup Lawsuit

Bayer is at the center of both individual and combined court cases, known as multidistrict litigation (MDL), claiming that the weedkiller Roundup caused cancer. As of November 2024, there are 4,355 open Roundup lawsuit cases in federal MDL in California.

In January 2024, a Philadelphia jury awarded $2.25 billion to a Pennsylvania man who claimed Roundup caused his non-Hodgkin lymphoma —  the largest Roundup lawsuit verdict yet. The verdict followed five other successful plaintiffs’ cases in 2023.

Roundup lawyers are still accepting claims to go to trial or negotiate a potential settlement.

In 2023, Bayer agreed to pay $6.9 million to resolve claims filed by New York’s attorney general, stating the company misled consumers about Roundup’s safety. The settlement funds will go to reducing the effect of pesticides on pollinators and aquatic species.

In 2021, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria deemed Bayer’s $2 billion offer to settle future Roundup cancer claims unreasonable and ordered the parties to present a better offer.

“Bayer is a massive, wealthy company, and it continues to make money specifically from Roundup sales. Nor is there any indication that the company will cease its efforts to settle cases,” Judge Chhabria said in his May 2021 order.

Have All Roundup Lawsuits Been Settled?

Although Bayer offered up to $10.9 billion to settle more than 100,000 Roundup personal injury claims, thousands of cases are still pending.

People could still be diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after using Roundup, and there could be future Roundup settlements and jury verdicts for these claimants. Lawyers are still accepting claims for potential settlements or jury trials.

People file Roundup lawsuits because they claim Monsanto’s herbicide caused their non-Hodgkin lymphoma or related cancers. People say Bayer — and its Monsanto subsidiary — didn’t warn the public about the cancer risks. They target Roundup’s active ingredient, glyphosate.

“Regarding recent lawsuits attempting to link glyphosate to non-Hodgkin lymphoma, it’s essential to understand that while there’s an ongoing debate, some studies suggest a correlation,” Jonathan Rosenfeld, founder and managing attorney at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, told Drugwatch. “However, causation isn’t definitively established yet, and legal battles often hinge on proving this link in court.”

Lawsuits also claim the company actively deceived the public about Roundup’s safety.

The “Monsanto Papers” — a collection of internal corporate communications presented in court — revealed that the company may have hidden Roundup’s cancer link for years. Bayer acquired Monsanto in 2018 and maintains that Roundup is safe, but stopped selling residential formulas in 2023. Commercial formulas remain available.

Banning or restricting glyphosate faces challenges, both because of its widespread use in agriculture and the lack of equally effective alternatives.

Injuries Named in Roundup Lawsuits

Injuries in Roundup lawsuits primarily involve non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer affecting white blood cells, though lawsuits also mention several related cancers.

Glyphosate’s link to cancer is controversial, largely because of differing opinions from regulatory agencies. The World Health Organization classifies glyphosate as a “probable human carcinogen,” while the Environmental Protection Agency disagrees.

An independent meta-analysis published in Mutation Research shows a 41% increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in agricultural workers exposed to large amounts of glyphosate.

“Through my legal practice, I’ve witnessed the devastating impact glyphosate exposure can have on individuals and their families, underscoring the importance of addressing this issue comprehensively,” Rosenfeld said.

Bayer maintains that more than 800 studies submitted to the EPA confirm that glyphosate “can be used safely and does not cause cancer.”

If you used Roundup regularly before being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, you might be eligible to file a lawsuit.

You could be eligible to file a Roundup cancer lawsuit if:

• You were directly exposed to Roundup for a long period or were exposed to large amounts of Roundup at 12 years of age or younger.
• You received a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma or another qualifying cancer on June 1, 2018, or after.
• You used Roundup at least two years before your diagnosis.
• The statute of limitations in your state hasn’t passed.

People have filed individual lawsuits seeking compensation for their injuries. Others filed class action claims for reimbursement of the cost of the product.

An experienced Roundup lawyer can guide you through the complex process of filing a lawsuit against giant international companies like Bayer. An attorney experienced in environmental law is necessary to help you negotiate settlements and prove your case in court.

Drugwatch partners with Weitz & Luxenberg, the award-winning national firm that filed the first Roundup lawsuits in 2015. It has negotiated multibillion-dollar settlements for clients affected by environmental toxins.

“It has been a long journey, but we are very pleased that we’ve achieved justice for the tens of thousands of people who, through no fault of their own, are suffering from non-Hodgkin lymphoma after using a product Monsanto assured them was safe,” Robin Greenwald, firm partner and co-chair of the Environmental Toxic Torts and Consumer Protection Litigation group at Weitz & Luxenberg, said in a press release.