Roundup lawsuits filed against Monsanto (now Bayer) claim the weed killer caused cancer and that the company failed to warn about the health risks of the product’s active ingredient. In 2020, Monsanto agreed to pay nearly $11 billion to settle most Roundup cancer claims, yet many lawsuits continue to be filed.
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Latest Roundup Cancer Lawsuit Updates
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 December 2024, there are 4,373 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.
Timeline of Roundup Cancer Lawsuits
December 2024:
The latest Roundup case has ended in a mistrial after a defense representative referenced a past criminal charge against the plaintiff during cross-examination. The last three Roundup trials have now ended in a win for the plaintiff, a win for the defendants and a mistrial.
November 2024:
The latest Roundup trial in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas has been won by the defendants. Plaintiff Judith Womack had developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma after using Roundup for several years, but the Philadelphia jury sided with Monsanto and determined that the company was not responsible for her cancer. This continues what has been a streak of inconsistency in verdicts for recent Roundup trials. Plaintiff William Melissen had been awarded a $78 million verdict by a Philadelphia jury just last month.
October 2024:
A Philadelphia jury awarded a $78 million verdict to a man who blamed his non-Hodgkin lymphoma on decades-long use of Roundup. William Melissen had used the weed killer regularly since 1992 and was diagnosed with cancer in 2020. This big win turned the tide on what had been a strong few months for Monsanto and Bayer, who will look to appeal the ruling.
September 2024:
Bayer secured another Roundup trial win after a Philadelphia jury determined that subsidiary Monsanto’s weed killer was defective but did not cause plaintiff Ryan Young’s non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This was the second victory for Bayer in a month after a Missouri appeals court also upheld a previous win for the company. In that trial, plaintiff Stacey Moore had appealed in part based on the exclusion of his expert’s testimony in the original trial, but the appeals court affirmed that the expert was not qualified to discuss Roundup’s potential ties to cancer. Bayer saw several wins in recent months as it continued to push for Roundup litigation to make its way to the Supreme Court.
August 2024:
In a potential blow to plaintiffs, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia ruled in Monsanto and Bayer’s favor in Schaffner v. Monsanto. The court determined in a unanimous ruling that the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) preempts state law that the Schaffners claimed Monsanto violated by not including cancer warnings on labels. This created a circuit split with previous rulings, and Bayer pushed for the issue to be determined in front of the Supreme Court.
July 2024:
Judge Ann Butchart of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas upheld Monsanto's only winning trial verdict in that court. This ruling could affect future cases because it allowed Monsanto to show EPA evidence that does not link Roundup to cancer, while not allowing plaintiffs to present evidence from the International Agency for Research on Cancer that does link the product to cancer. Plaintiffs are appealing this ruling.
Bayer also began lobbying Congress to add language to an upcoming farm bill that will protect it from lawsuits that allege Roundup causes cancer. An Oregon appeals court overturned a previous Bayer win in a Roundup trial this month. The decision was based on the determination that the trial court committed an error by excluding certain testimony regarding EPA regulation. In research news, French scientists published a study in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety that suggests that glyphosate has a negative impact on human reproductive health by contributing to infertility.
June 2024:
A state court judge slashed a $2.25 billion verdict for a Pennsylvania man to $400 million dollars. The jury had originally awarded him $2 billion in punitive damages. Bayer said it would continue to appeal the decision.
Meanwhile, Bayer was reportedly heavily investing in lobbying efforts to influence Congress in favor of passing a law that would restrict Roundup-related lawsuits. Part of this campaign involved a clause in the Farm Bill, which Bayer helped draft, aiming to limit plaintiffs' claims of being uninformed about the herbicide's health risks.
May 2024:
Plaintiffs continued to file new lawsuits in the MDL. The latest New York plaintiff used Roundup for about 10 years before being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2023.
April 2024:
A Missouri court reduced the $1.56 billion verdict from November 2023 to $611 million. This was based on a U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting punitive damages to no more than 9 times the actual damages.
March 2024:
Plaintiffs’ attorneys considered consolidating cases in a New Jersey multicounty litigation. Meanwhile, the plaintiff in Kline v. Monsanto was appealing the Philadelphia jury’s defense verdict.
February 2024:
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Bayer's argument on federal labeling of pesticides trumping state requirements that they come with a cancer warning. This complicates Bayer's legal strategy in dealing with lawsuits claiming Roundup cancer links.
January 2024:
A Pennsylvania jury awarded John McKivison a $2.25 billion verdict after a trial in which he claimed Roundup caused his non-Hodgkin lymphoma. His lawsuit claimed he'd used the weedkiller around his property for 20 years.
December 2023:
A jury ordered Bayer to pay $3.5 million to a plaintiff who claimed Roundup caused her to develop cancer.
November 2023:
A jury in Missouri awarded $1.56 billion to four plaintiffs who claimed Roundup caused them or their spouse to develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Out of about 165,000 lawsuits, 113,000 had been resolved, according to Bayer.
October 2023:
A San Diego jury awarded $332 million to a cancer patient after finding Monsanto didn’t adequately warn of the risks of Roundup.
June 2023:
Bayer settled claims for misleading consumers about the environmental effects of Roundup.
May 2023:
Monsanto won the latest trial in St. Louis, Missouri, against plaintiff Sharlean Gordon. This was the company’s seventh consecutive win.
September 2022:
Monsanto won its fifth consecutive trial in St. Louis, Missouri.
May 2021:
San Francisco Judge Vince Chhabria denied Bayer’s Roundup class action lawsuit offer to settle future Roundup cancer claims for $2 billion.
June 2020:
Bayer offered $10.9 billion to settle about 100,000 Roundup weed killer lawsuit claims.
May 2019:
A California state jury awarded $2 billion to a Roundup plaintiff.
March 2019:
A California state jury awarded $80 million to a Roundup plaintiff.
August 2018:
A California state jury awarded $289 million to a Roundup plaintiff.
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.
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.
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Why Are People Filing Roundup Lawsuits?
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.”
“One commonality among decisions in favor of Monsanto is causation. For these cases to be successful, there must be a link showing the product caused the plaintiff’s injury or illness.”
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.
“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.”
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.
Injuries Claimed in Roundup Lawsuits
Anaplastic large cell lymphoma
B-lymphoblastic lymphoma
Burkitt lymphoma
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
Extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue
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.”
Drugwatch partners with trusted law firms to help you take legal action. After submitting the form, one of Drugwatch's partners will contact you for a free case review.
Am I Eligible To File a Roundup Cancer Lawsuit?
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.
Beyond Side Effects: Kathy’s Roundup Cancer Story
Kathy Spreadbury loved caring for plants and watching them grow. As an avid gardener, the Pensacola, Florida, resident once cultivated more than 100 plumerias. But her passion was cut short when she was diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma following exposure to Roundup. After months of treatment and a painful physical decline, Kathy died on Christmas Eve in 2020.
Kathy (L) and sister Sue.
Her family blames Monsanto and Bayer for her cancer. Like many other patients and loved ones, Kathy’s husband of 37 years filed a Roundup cancer lawsuit. As they cherish Kathy’s memory, her family hopes to hold the makers of Roundup responsible.
Drugwatch has analyzed several Roundup-related cases, including multidistrict litigation and class action lawsuits. Each case is unique and outcomes vary. Discussing your situation with a lawyer can help determine if you or your family qualify for a Roundup lawsuit.
Donnetta Stephens filed her suit against Monsanto and Bayer in the Superior Court of California in Alameda County in August 2020.
Roundup Usage
Stephens regularly used Roundup to maintain her yard biweekly from 2000 to 2017 from April through September each year.
Injuries Alleged
Stephens was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma on Dec. 15, 2017, attributing her illness to Roundup exposure. Her complaint cites significant harm, pain and suffering, physical injury and bodily impairment, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other cancers requiring medical intervention.
Relief Sought
Stephens sought compensatory damages from Bayer to cover medical costs and suffering. Additionally, she pursued exemplary and punitive damages against both Bayer and Monsanto for their alleged negligence in the development, testing, manufacture, promotion, distribution, marketing and sale of Roundup, alongside court costs.
Verdict
The jury ultimately ruled Roundup exposure did not reasonably cause Stephens’ cancer. Her counsel plans to appeal the decision.
In February 2019, Lisa Jones, Horacio Torres Bonilla and Kristoffer Yee filed a class action lawsuit against Monsanto on behalf of Roundup purchasers. This suit focused on deceptive labeling practices. Plaintiffs sought refunds for Roundup product purchases rather than filing personal injury claims.
Deceptive Labeling Allegations
Plaintiffs accused Monsanto of deceptive labeling regarding Roundup products. The label claimed glyphosate, the active ingredient, targeted only plant enzymes. Plaintiffs argued Monsanto knew glyphosate was found in human and animal gut bacteria, rendering the label false.
Proposed Settlement Agreement
An initial settlement proposed a $39.55 million Common Fund, with 25% for attorney fees. Claimants were to receive 10% of average retail prices for products purchased. Any unclaimed funds from the settlement will be distributed to designated charitable efforts.
Notice Efforts
Comprehensive notice efforts reached approximately 87% of class members via various platforms, including digital banners and email distribution. An updated settlement proposal in October 2020 included a possible payment increase to claimants and extended notice incorporating TV and radio advertising.
Final Claims and Distribution
In total, class members filed 285,399 claims representing about 1 million products. The value of valid claims reportedly ranged between $11.72 million and $13.34 million. After deducting fees and administration costs, $14 to $16 million remained for cy pres distribution.
How Can a Roundup Lawyer Help Me?
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.
Q&A with Kimm Massey, EsquirePersonal Injury and Civil Litigation Attorney
Attorney Kim Massey answers important questions about Roundup lawsuits.
How can you prove Roundup exposure?
You can prove Roundup exposure by providing receipts of purchases or information from your job about Roundup use and showing proof of non-Hodgkin lymphoma or another related diagnosis. An experienced Roundup lawyer can help you obtain proof for evidence in your lawsuit.
What is the average payout for a Roundup lawsuit?
Some lawyers have estimated the average payout for a Roundup lawsuit is around $150,000. This amount could be higher or lower depending on the age and injuries of each claimant. An experienced Roundup lawyer can help you determine a potential settlement amount for your case.
Is it too late to join the Roundup lawsuit?
Getting a free case review about qualifying to join a Roundup lawsuit is still possible. But each state has a statute of limitations, so state laws may limit your time to qualify. In some cases, the statute date may have already passed. Contact an attorney immediately to preserve your right to file a Roundup lawsuit and see if you qualify.
Is Roundup banned?
No, Roundup is not banned in the U.S., though Bayer has said it would stop selling residential formulas with different active ingredients. Commercial formulas of Roundup remain available.
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“One commonality among decisions in favor of Monsanto is causation. For these cases to be successful, there must be a link showing the product caused the plaintiff’s injury or illness.”
