In late January 2024, a Pennsylvania jury found Bayer, which owns American agrochemical company Monsanto, responsible for one man’s cancer after he used Roundup® weed killer for decades. The verdict awarded the victim $2.25 billion in damages.
“The jury’s unanimous verdict was a condemnation of 50 years of misconduct by Monsanto and a declaration that its misconduct was in reckless disregard of human safety and a substantial cause of [our client’s] cancer.”
However, in ongoing efforts to argue Roundup is safe, Bayer is fighting to overturn the verdict. The company said the verdict is “unconstitutionally excessive” in its filings for a retrial, claiming the judge overseeing the case allowed for inflammatory testimony.
This is just one case of thousands filed against the chemical company over its dangerous products.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer after using Roundup, you may qualify for compensation. Get a free case review now to see how we can help.
Understanding the Pennsylvania Roundup Cancer Lawsuit
The Pennsylvania man at the center of this landmark verdict is John McKivision. For years, he used variations of Monsanto’s Roundup that contained high concentrations of glyphosate.
In 2020, McKivision was diagnosed with non-Hogkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer that develops within white blood cells and has been linked to glyphosate weed killers. He filed a Roundup lawsuit against Monsanto to hold the company responsible for the harm he experienced.
Roundup was initially marketed as a safe herbicide. However, some researchers have found these claims to be false. Since 2023, residential Roundup products have been removed from the market, but the weed killer continues to be used in commercial and agricultural settings.
The trial lasted three weeks and involved testimonies from McKivision, Bayer, and other experts detailing the effects of prolonged exposure to glyphosate-containing Roundup. Despite Bayer’s continued attempts to prove Roundup is safe, the jury delivered the unanimous verdict in favor of McKivision after only one hour of deliberation.
They awarded McKivision $250 million in compensatory damages to cover medical bills and pain and suffering, as well as $2 billion in punitive damages (to punish the company).
Bayer’s Roundup Weed Killer Lawsuit Appeal Strategy
On February 5, 2024, Bayer’s legal team filed court papers to appeal what it called an “excessive” verdict. The company claimed the trial was filled with inflammatory testimony that did not align with decades of Monsanto’s research into its own product.
The Bayer legal team maintained that the company’s products are safe and denied claims of corruption and faulty research. They said the court should grant a retrial or reduce the verdict award significantly.
“This post-trial motion is an extension of Monsanto’s broadside attack … to undermine the integrity of our courts and administration of justice.”
Appealing this verdict is an unsurprising strategy for Bayer. The company has attempted to overturn or reduce most of the verdicts against it, and while this has resulted in some awards to victims being reduced, other verdicts have been upheld through the appeals process.
It’s uncertain what will happen to the verdict after the appeal, but McKivision’s lawyers are hopeful the courts will uphold the jury’s careful decision.
Years of Roundup Litigation Against Monsanto
In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as a probable carcinogen (cancer-causing substance). Since then, tens of thousands of lawsuits have been filed against Monsanto — and Bayer after it acquired Monsanto in 2018.
However, the Roundup manufacturers continue to dodge accountability, citing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) report that glyphosate is “unlikely to be a human carcinogen.” Throughout the years, experts have disagreed with the EPA’s statement and have continued studying the chemical’s risks.
One study released in 2023 found exposure to glyphosate-based herbicides increased the risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma by an alarming 41%.
Bayer has already paid more than $10 billion to settle Roundup cancer lawsuits, and an estimated 50,000 claims remain unresolved. Within the past several months, multiple plaintiffs have been successful in their claims against Bayer.
McKivision isn’t the only Roundup victim in Pennsylvania who successfully sued Bayer. In fact, two other verdicts of $3.5 million and $175 million were recently returned in the state. Another man in California was awarded $332 million in November 2023.
Even more Roundup trials are expected to resolve in 2024, including one filed by a Georgia doctor who was diagnosed with cancer after using the weed killer for 30 years.
Get Help Filing a Roundup Cancer Lawsuit
Despite Monsanto’s strategy to avoid accountability for the harm its glyphosate weed killer has caused, compensation may still be available for those affected.
Our team may be able to connect you with top personal injury lawyers if you or a loved one were:
- Exposed to Roundup
- Diagnosed with blood cancers like leukemia or lymphoma
Experienced Roundup lawyers can fight for the compensation you need to help cover your medical costs and other expenses. At LawFirm.com, we’ve partnered with top Roundup attorneys who have already secured millions of dollars on behalf of glyphosate cancer victims across the country.
Find out if you may qualify for a Roundup cancer lawsuit during a free case review, or call our team at (888) 726-9160 now.
