One of the first trials brought against Monsanto Corporation (now owned by German pharmaceutical company Bayer AG) over their product Roundup, a herbicide, has resulted in a $289 million dollar verdict for the plaintiff Dewayne Johnson.
Mr. Johnson, a groundskeeper for a school in California was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2014. Despite receiving chemotherapy treatment, his doctor declared his case to be terminal in July of 2017 and gave him a prognosis of 6 months to live. He reached out to Monsanto to see if there was any association between his cancer and Roundup but was told there was none and he continued to use the product. This product contains the controversial chemical glyphosate.
Glyphosate was determined by the International Agency of Cancer to be a possible carcinogen, and poses a serious health risk. Mr. Johnson’s attorneys filed a claim on his behalf stating that Monsanto Corporation knew of the potential harm glyphosate could cause and failed to inform consumers. Mr. Johnson’s attorneys pursued punitive damages for costs due to medical bills and other damages relating to Mr. Johnson’s terminal illness.
After eight weeks of trial, the California-based jury found that Bayer AG – parent company of Monsanto Corporation – acted with ” ‘malice’ and that its weed killers contributed ‘substantially’ to Mr Johnson’s terminal illness” according to an article posted by the BBC. Bayer AG, released a statement regarding their intent to appeal the verdict, and that they stand by the safety of their product. Many other lawsuits brought against Monsanto on similar grounds are currently awaiting litigation.
Our firm is currently looking into cases of an individual developing non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma as a result of using Roundup. Contact us at (303) 327-9988to schedule a free consultation and speak with one of our experienced attorneys.
