Roundup Cancer Lawsuit News

Jury Verdict Against Monsanto's Roundup Has Been Upheld

If cancer-victim DeWayne Johnson accepts a reduced jury award, Monsanto's appeal will be denied and the decision will stand

Wednesday, October 31, 2018 - Even though a San Francisco judge reduced DeWayne Johnson's punitive damages award from $250 million down to $39 million, the verdict alleging Roundup herbicide caused cancer was upheld. The plaintiff, a 62-year old California groundskeeper, alleged that he came into direct contact with glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup herbicide regularly while spraying the chemical to kill weeds as part of his job. Johnson testified that he would sometimes come home "drenched in the chemical (Roundup)," and that direct contact with his skin caused irritation that led to his cancer. Experts testified on behalf of the plaintiff that glyphosate bioaccumulates to unsafe and potentially cancer-causing levels when it comes into direct contact with the skin regularly and in large quantities. Monsanto lawyers were unable to defend against that accusation on cross-examination. Monsanto has even stated that glyphosate is safe only if "used as directed" and in small quantities. Johnson's attorneys argued that Monsanto had an obligation to warn industrial users of Roundup herbicide to wear waterproof protective clothing and to avoid direct contact with the chemical. Monsanto has repeatedly fought against adding a warning label to Roundup. In 2016 the state of California attempted and failed to force the company to place a warning label on bottles of Roundup sold in the state. Glyphosate has been determined by the International Agency on Cancer Research in France to be "probably carcinogenic to humans'" and placed on the California Proposition 65 list of chemicals that cause cancer.

Although barely able to speak or walk, Johnson was able to take the stand at the trial and to show the jury his hands and body that was covered in painful-looking open, cancerous lesions. Johnson, like thousands of others Roundup herbicide victims, suffers from a rare form of cancer called non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Reaffirming the decision against Monsanto has encouraged thousands of industrial-strength users of glyphosate in occupations such as farmers and farm laborers, landscapers, maintenance workers and even suburban homeowner that may spray Roundup in their gardens and lawns. Of particular concern are the children that play in parks and lawns where Roundup is sprayed. More jury trials are scheduled to start in 2019, while over 10,000 other cases against Monsanto wait in the wings. Removing Roundup herbicide from the US market until further tests can be conducted has been a priority of most environmentally-concerned health organizations. Several US congressmen have also taken up the cause. On Johnson's legal team was well-known human health advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who said following the jury's decision: "This jury found Monsanto acted with malice and oppression because they knew what they were doing was wrong and doing it with reckless disregard for human life."

Johnson's case was rushed to trial under a California law that expedites the trials of the elderly or those with terminal diseases. Johnson has about one month to decide whether or not to accept the reduced amount of damages or the judge will grant Monsanto a new trial. Johnson is not likely to refuse the reduced jury award as doctors have said he has less than a year to live.

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Lawyers for Roundup Cancer Lawsuits

Attorneys handling Roundup cancer lawsuits for leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and multiple myeloma offer free, no-obligation case review for individuals and families who believe they may have grounds to file a Roundup cancer lawsuit. Working on a contingency basis, these attorneys are committed to never charging legal fees unless they win compensation in your Roundup cancer lawsuit. The product liability litigators handling Roundup claims at the Onder Law Firm have a strong track record of success in representing families harmed by dangerous drugs and consumer products.