Roundup Cancer Attorney for Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Lawsuits

Yes, in theory, anyone who has developed Hodgkin's lymphoma after using Roundup may have a case. The number of pending cases against Bayer is alarming. Some studies have shown an increase in the chance of developing Hodgkin's lymphoma with even limited exposure to Roundup. If you have non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and you have used Roundup in the past, we can evaluate your case at no charge. Contact us. The discussion will be confidential, and we can help you decide what your next steps should be.

Yes, several legal cases involving Roundup have gone to trial and verdicts have been rendered in favor of the plaintiffs. There are several more cases on the docket set for trial in 2020. Below are summaries of recent Roundup cancer verdicts.

Dewayne Johnson: $289 million (California)

In August of 2018, a jury awarded $289 million to Dewayne Johnson, a groundskeeper with stage IV non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Mr. Johnson used Roundup extensively throughout his career as a school groundskeeper for a San Francisco area school district. He also had two accidents where he was soaked with the weed killer. Two years after the first incident, he was diagnosed with NHL. At the time of trial, lesions covered 80% of his body.

The jury unanimously found that Monsanto failed to warn about the carcinogenic dangers of Roundup and awarded $39 million in compensatory damages and $250 million in punitive damages. The trial judge later lowered the punitive damage award to $78 million. Both sides have appealed.

Edward Hardeman: $80 million (California)

In March of 2019, a jury awarded Edward Hardeman more than $80 million in damages after determining that his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was caused in part by Roundup exposure. Hardeman, age 70, used Roundup to control weeds and poison oak on his property for 26 years. In 2015 he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and, when the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer declared glyphosate a probable carcinogen, Hardeman sued Monsanto.

$2 Billion (Oakland, CA)

In the most recent jury verdict involving Roundup, a jury awarded a California couple, Alva and Alberta Pilliod, more than $2 billion in damages. The Pilliods had used Roundup on their property for decades. In 2011, Alva was diagnosed with hodgkin lymphoma and then in 2015, Alberta was diagnosed with the same disease.

The Pilliod's lawyers argued that a billion-dollar verdict would send a message to Monsanto, basing the requested punitive damages - $1 billion for each of the Pilliods – on Monsanto's 2017 profit from Roundup of $892 million. Their attorneys also argued that homeowners are even more at risk from using Roundup because they have never been warned to wear gloves, protective clothing, or masks while using the product.

There are currently more than 18,000 pending lawsuits involving Roundup weed killer. These fall into two general categories: individual lawsuits and class action lawsuits. Most of these cases are part of a federal multidistrict litigation in California, a California state consolidated proceeding in Alameda Superior Court, and a Missouri state complex proceeding in St. Louis County Court. Many mass torts end up consolidated in a few locations for efficiency and to comply with federal jurisdictional and civil procedure rules.

Individual Claims:

The individual lawsuits filed against Monsanto are not part of a class action and seek remedies for injuries, such as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, caused by Roundup and its active ingredient, glyphosate, as well as a failure to warn of the dangers of the chemical. Many of these have been consolidated in the Alameda Superior Court in California, the St. Louis County Court in Missouri, and the federal MDL in California.

The individual claims filed against Monsanto are not part of a class action and seek remedies for injuries, such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma, caused by Roundup and its active ingredient, glyphosate, as well as a failure to warn of the dangers of the chemical. Many of these have been consolidated in the Alameda Superior Court in California, the St. Louis County Court in Missouri, and the federal MDL in California. Some of the personal injury and wrongful death cases have jury trials set for 2020.

Class Action Lawsuits:

There are also class-action lawsuits against Monsanto pending in several states. These claims are related to false and misleading information on the Roundup label and don't involve allegations of personal injury or wrongful death. Many of the class action lawsuits revolve around Monsanto's continued insistence that Roundup targets an enzyme found in plants and not in people or pets. The class-action suits allege that glyphosate can target bacteria in mammals, including humans.

While the individual cases are not "class action" lawsuits, in 2016, a federal judiciary panel created a Roundup MDL (multi-district litigation), allowing the plaintiffs' attorneys to work together to develop the facts and science behind the glyphosate claims.

Earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria appointed attorney Kenneth Feinberg to begin mediating settlement discussions between Monsanto and the plaintiffs in the federal court MDL. Mr. Feinberg has facilitated discussions in many high stakes claims, including the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal, the BP Deep Water Horizon oil spill, and the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund. While these federal cases may not be in danger of settling any time soon, with billion-dollar verdicts piling up, Bayer (who now owns Monsanto) may consider doing so in the future.

The time requirements, referred to as the statute of limitations, to file a Roundup lawsuit will depend on where you live and when you received a diagnosis of cancer or Hodgkin's Lymphoma. If you or a family member has been diagnosed with either condition, you should speak to a Roundup weed killer lawyer as soon as feasible so you can preserve your legal rights for compensatory damages by filing a lawsuit. Failure to comply with the applicable statute of limitations will forever bar your legal rights for recovery. If your family member died from complications, you may also have grounds to file a wrongful death lawsuit.

No, at the present time there are no official settlements of Roundup lawsuits or claims. However, with numerous trials set to begin in 2020, there have been news reports of settlement negotiations between Bayer and attorneys for plaintiffs. CNBC reported that Bayer offered $8 Billion to settle the approximately 18,000 pending cases, equating to roughly $450,000 per plaintiff. As more news of jury awards and settlements comes forward, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC will update this webpage.

Roundup weed killer is a danger to people. There are numerous long-term effects, including Hodgkin's Lymphoma. After hearing so much about Roundup in the news, you may be wondering about the substance behind all of the claims. So, what is the biochemical basis for weed killer cancer claims, and what does the science actually say?

Roundup suppresses the ability of plants to produce key amino acids and proteins needed for growth. Since all plants need these proteins to live, Roundup kills all plants, not just weeds. The chemical is nearly ubiquitous. Landscapers and farmers use it on residential lawns and gardens, public parks, schoolyards, right-of-way areas, and crops. Unfortunately, this widespread use has exposed farmworkers to this chemical and they are getting sick.

Crops genetically engineered to be immune to Roundup are increasing the levels of glyphosate found in streams, lakes, and ditches. The chemical is also now found in much of our food, which is, in turn, building up in our bodies.

The Long-Terms Effects to People are:

Glyphosate as a Carcinogen

Exposure to glyphosate increases the risk for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system that severely impacts the body's immune system. World health organizations agree. In 2015, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer said that glyphosate, the key ingredient in Roundup, is probably carcinogenic to humans and that exposure may increase the risk of contracting non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Environmental Exposure

Once Monsanto debuted its Roundup Ready seeds in the 1990s, Roundup became much more useful to the agricultural industry. Farmers could now spray the weed killer on all of their fields, killing weeds without harming crops. But over time, weeds developed a resistance to glyphosate, requiring more and more of the herbicide to kill the weeds. Eventually, "superweeds" immune to Roundup developed.

Now, many farmers are back to using multiple chemicals, including glyphosate, on their fields. This results in more chemical runoff into ditches, streams, lakes, and eventually our water supply. A report based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture data indicates that farmers are now using 383 million pounds more of pesticides than they would have if Roundup had never been developed.

Exposure Through Food

People are now facing unprecedented levels of glyphosate in their foods. As Roundup use has dramatically increased, so has the level of the herbicide found in our food supply. In 2019, scientific studies from the Environmental Working Group of 21 oat-based cereal and snack products revealed that all but four products contained measurable amounts of glyphosate higher than the EWG considers safe for children.

Alarmingly, it seems that children may be at risk for glyphosate exposure through food at higher rates than adults. In July of 2019, CBS news reported on a study measuring glyphosate levels found in adults and their children. A Vermont parent reported that she was floored by the results indicating that her daughter's glyphosate levels were 100 times her own. The study tested 12 families for glyphosate and 11 tested positive. Ten of the children in the study had significantly higher levels of the carcinogen than their parents.

Despite all of this, glyphosate is not included in the U.S. government's Environmental Protection Agencies testing of pesticide residues in food or its monitoring of chemicals in human tissue and blood samples. So, there is limited information on how much exposure people face from the use of Roundup on crops or in residential areas. At the same time that the use of glyphosate dramatically increased, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency relaxed its rules on how much glyphosate it considers "safe." Fifty times more glyphosate is now allowed on corn grain than was permitted by the EPA in 1996.

While Bayer AG, which now owns Monsanto, refuses to acknowledge the dangers of glyphosate, the company recently announced that it will be investing more than $5 billion to develop glyphosate alternatives.

In the meantime, people continue to be exposed to Roundup and glyphosate through the environment and the food we eat. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer after using Roundup, contact us for a free consultation.

Hodgkin's lymphoma is cancer that originates in the lymphatic system, an important part of your body's immune system. The disease starts in lymphocytes, white blood cells that help fight infection. While lymphocytes normally have a predictable life cycle, when old lymphocytes continue to abnormally grow and divide, they stack up in the lymph nodes, causing swelling.

The disease can progress on to the rest of the lymphatic system, including the lymphatic vessels, adenoids, tonsils, spleen, thymus, and bone marrow. Sometimes Hodgkin's lymphoma can spread to organs outside the lymphatic system as well.

Hodgkin's lymphoma can begin in either the B cells or the T cells.

• B Cells: B-cells fight infection by producing antibodies that neutralize infections. Most Hodgkin's lymphoma originates in the B cells. Subtypes that originate in these cells include diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma and Burkitt lymphoma.
• T Cells: T-cells are directly involved in killing foreign invaders and infections. The subtypes of Hodgkin's lymphoma that involve T cells include peripheral T-cell lymphoma and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

Hodgkin's Lymphoma Symptoms

Symptoms of Hodgkin's lymphoma include:

• Swollen, but painless lymph nodes in your armpits, groin, or neck.
• Fever or night sweats
• Persistent fatigue or weakness
• Chest pain, coughing, or trouble breathing
• Unexplained weight loss
• Anemia
• Itching of the skin

Hodgkin's Lymphoma Prognosis

The prognosis for patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is largely dependent on the stage of the disease.

• Stage I: The cancerous cells are only found in one lymph node area or one part of a tissue or organ.
• Stage II: There are lymphoma cells in at least two lymph node areas on the same side of the body or in one organ and the lymph nodes near that organ.
• Stage III: The lymphoma is in lymph nodes above and below the diaphragm. The lymphoma may have spread into an organ near an affected lymph node group.
• Stage IV: In addition to lymph cell spread, lymphoma cells are in several parts of one or more organs or tissue.
• Type A: The patient has no symptoms.
• Type B: The patient has had weight loss, night sweats, fever, or severe itching.

Overall, about 65% of people with Hodgkin lymphoma will live 10 years or more. But among those with stage IV of the disease, about 65% of patients can expect to live about five years. Unfortunately, many consider this to be terminal cancer.

Hodgkin's Lymphoma Treatment

• The type of disease
• The stage of the disease
• How quickly the cancer is growing
• The patient's age
• Any other patient health problems
• Symptoms

Hodgkin lymphoma with symptoms is generally treated with chemotherapy and biological therapy. Although stage I and II may require radiation therapy. Treatment options include:

• Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy involves oral or injectable medication that kills cancer cells. Symptoms include nausea, fatigue, and hair loss. Long-term risks include fertility problems, heart damage, lung damage, and other cancers.
• Radiation Therapy: High doses of radiation in x-rays or protons can kill cancerous cells and shrink tumors. Generally, radiation is targeted to the area of the body where the cancer is present. Side effects can include skin redness and hair loss at the site of the radiation. Long-term risks include heart disease, thyroid problems, stroke, and other cancers.
• Stem Cell Transplant: A stem cell or bone marrow transplant involves high doses of radiation or chemotherapy to suppress the body's stem cells. The blood will then be infused with healthy bone marrow from another part of the patient's body or from a donor. These stem cells will travel to the bones and rebuild the body's bone marrow.
• Biological Drugs: These medications enhance and support the body's immune system and its ability to fight cancers. Drugs used to treat Hodgkin lymphoma include monoclonal antibodies like Rituxan, which bind to cancer cells and boost the immune system's facility to fight cancer cells.
• Radio Immunotherapy Medications: These medications are often made from monoclonal antibodies that carry radioactive isotopes and deliver radiation directly to cancer cells. While Hodgkin lymphoma is a terminal illness, there are many treatment options.

After hearing so much frightening information about cancer and Roundup, you may be wondering exactly how Roundup causes cancers in the body. Unfortunately, it can be difficult for doctors or scientists to definitely say that something causes cancer.

Scientists can't run trials with human subjects, randomly assigning some to be dosed with Roundup and some to be dosed with a placebo. That would be unethical. Instead, we look to (1) epidemiological studies that show a statistical association between the use of Roundup or glyphosate and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and (2) toxicological studies that look at how glyphosate affects cells and tissue.

• Statistical Association

  Studies showing an association between NHL and herbicides stretches back more than 30 years. As early as 1986, researchers found that men repeatedly exposed to herbicides had a greatly increased risk of developing cancer. In 2001, a cross-Canada study of pesticides found that men exposed to certain herbicides and pesticides, including organophosphorus like Roundup, had a 73% increased chance of developing NHL. In 2019, a meta-analysis combining all of the studies that addressed glyphosate and NHL focused on people with the highest levels of exposure to the chemical. The study found that those who had the most exposure to glyphosate were 41% more likely to develop NHL.

• Toxicological Studies

  Toxicological studies of glyphosate have found that the chemical is genotoxic, meaning it can affect the integrity of a cell's genetic material. Between 1983 and 2017, 12 studies showed that glyphosate-based herbicides are genotoxic. In fact, a 2007 study revealed that Roundup is more toxic to living cells than Glyphosate alone. So, while it may be difficult to definitely say that Roundup caused or causes a specific cancer, the evidence demonstrates that exposure to Roundup is dangerous to humans and increases the risk for developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

As a broad-spectrum herbicide, Roundup originally had limited application in agriculture because it could only be sprayed in targeted areas where it wouldn't harm crops. Once Monsanto rolled out its genetically modified "Roundup Ready" seeds, this changed for crops like soybeans, corn, and cotton. These crops were now genetically manipulated to be immune to Roundup and glyphosate. This meant that farmers could now spray Roundup on their entire field, killing all of the weeds and leaving the cash crops unharmed.

With the development of Roundup Ready seeds, the use of glyphosate agriculturally surged. The use of Roundup in agriculture increased dramatically from 11 million pounds in 1982 to 300 million pounds by 2012. According to a Wall Street Journal report, "Biotech crops [heave] helped make glyphosate the most widely used weed killer in the world, accounting for about $5 billion in annual sales, or roughly one-fifth of the entire herbicide market."

Roundup is predominantly used in agriculture. is the biggest consumer of Roundup and glyphosate in the U.S. Illinois is the state with the highest agricultural glyphosate use in the country, with more than 11,000 kilograms of the herbicide used in Illinois farms in 2016. Illinois is followed closely by Iowa at 10,915,748 kg., Nebraska at 9,915,178 kg., Kansas at 8,864,771 kg., and North Dakota at 8,860,949 kg.

According to U.S. Geological Survey high end estimates for glyphosate use in 2016, Rhode Island has the smallest glyphosate consumption, not surprising for the smallest state, with only 750 kg of glyphosate used in 2016. Chart of Glyphosate Use in the Continental U.S. States from Highest to Lowest

• Illinois
• Iowa
• Nebraska
• Kansas
• North Dakota
• Minnesota
• South Dakota
• Texas
• Indiana
• Missouri
• Ohio
• Montana
• California
• Arkansas
• Wisconsin
• Michigan
• Colorado
• Kentucky
• Tennessee
• North Carolina
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Oklahoma
• Florida
• Georgia
• Washington
• Pennsylvania
• Virginia
• Alabama
• Idaho
• South Carolina
• Maryland
• New York
• Oregon
• Arizona
• New Mexico
• Wyoming
• Delaware
• Utah
• New Jersey
• West Virginia
• Vermont
• Nevada
• Connecticut
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• Rhode Island

Roundup has been on the market since 1974, and for decades it was believed to be safe because its active ingredient, glyphosate, works on a plant enzyme that mammals, including humans, don't possess. But research in the last two decades indicates that glyphosate isn't as benign as we once thought. In 2015, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer noted that glyphosate is probably carcinogenic to humans and may lead to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and the scientific evidence is mounting.

The people most at risk for harmful exposure to Roundup and glyphosate are agricultural workers, herbicide applicators, landscapers, farm workers, groundskeepers, and farmers.

The history and use of Roundup are extensive. Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, was first patented in the United States in 1961 as a chelating and descaling agent by the Stauffer Chemical Co. Descaling agents bind to calcium, magnesium, and heavy metals, making them water-soluble and easily removed. As a result, glyphosate was originally used to clean out calcium and mineral deposits in the pipes and boilers of hot water systems.

In 1970, Monsanto scientist John Franz discovered that glyphosate was also an effective herbicide or weed killer and Monsanto brought glyphosate to market in 1974 as Roundup weed killer.

Roundup was marketed as an easy-to-use, broad-spectrum herbicide. It is sold in a concentrate, which is mixed with water and then applied with a garden sprayer. However, because Roundup is a broad-spectrum weed killer, it will kill all plants, not just weeds. As a result, Roundup had to be applied in targeted areas to keep other plants safe. Because of this, Roundup originally wasn't used often in large scale agriculture. All of that changed in the 1980s.

In 1982, Monsanto was already working to develop genetically modified seeds for use in agriculture. These seeds would be immune to glyphosate, allowing farmers to apply Roundup to entire fields to kill weeds without fear of harming cash crops. At the same time, Luca Comai, a scientist from biotech company Calgene, was also working on a similar product. Monsanto would later acquire Calgene to combine the genetic seed research of the two companies.

In September 2016, Bayer acquired Monsanto for $66 Billion. As part of the terms of the purchase, Bayer acquired all of Monsanto's debt and liabilities--- including Roundup Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma claims and lawsuits.