Roundup Cancer Lawsuit News

Another 80 Million Dollars For a Roundup Herbicide Cancer Victim

A California property owner developed cancer from spraying Roundup herbicide for decades

Thursday, March 28, 2019 - A California jury awarded Edwin Hardeman $80 million for cancer he developed from his regular and decades-long use of Roundup herbicide on his 50-plus acre California property. Lawyers for the defendant, Monsanto/Bayer, vowed to appeal the decision and insisted that glyphosate is safe for human consumption. According to NPR, lawyers stated, "We are disappointed with the jury's decision, but this verdict does not change the weight of over four decades of extensive science and the conclusions of regulators worldwide that support the safety of our glyphosate-based herbicides and that they are not carcinogenic."

The jury award was the second phase of the trial that had previously found that the plaintiff's use of Roundup herbicide "substantially contributed" to his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a rare and deadly form of cancer. Judge Vincent Chhabria agreed with Monsanto attorney's requests that the trial be divided into two separate stages, the first phase limited to scientific evidence only for a jury to determine whether or not glyphosate did indeed cause the plaintiff's cancer, and the second for the jury to hear alleged evidence of corporate malfeasance on the part of Monsanto in doctoring studies presented to the FDA claiming that glyphosate was safe for human consumption. During the second phase, jurors were presented internal memos indicating Monsanto scientists "ghostwrote" positive conclusions to otherwise independent scientific, and then fraudulently represented them to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as objective scientific analysis. The memos also prove the company was able to quash the FDA negative conclusions of glyphosate tests by influencing a high-ranking FDA official. As a result of Monsanto's wrongdoing, jurors sided with the Hardeman in both phases and ordered Monsanto/Bayer to pay $80 million to the plaintiff. National Monsanto Roundup herbicide attorneys representing families and individuals harmed from the regular use of glyphosate are happy to give a free no obligation consultation before filing a claim.

The ruling surprised many who had believed that the plaintiff's attorneys violated the judge's order not to mention Monsanto's alleged coverup of what they knew pertaining to glyphosate being carcinogenic. Judge Chhabria cited the plaintiff's attorney for acting in bad faith by introducing non-scientific evidence into court in phase one. The plaintiff's attorney, Aimee Wagstaff, spent a "significant amount of time" on Hardeman's personal life, and referenced several pieces of excluded evidence, particularly involving the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, or IARC." according to Law.com. Judge Chhabria sanctioned Wagstaff for "obvious violations" of his pretrial orders. Monsanto attorneys feel comfortable that the violation could be grounds to overturn the jury's decision.

The $80 million jury award is the second decision for the plaintiff in as many trials claiming that Roundup herbicide causes cancer. A month ago California school groundskeeper DeWayne Lee Johnson was awarded $289 million, subsequently reduced to $78 million for his suffering at the hands of Monsanto's negligence. Johnson was required to use Roundup herbicide regularly during the course of his employment in school landscape maintenance and sprayed the chemical liberally to control weeds. Johnson testified that he would regularly come home "drenched in glyphosate" and that there was no warning to wear protective waterproof clothing while using the product.

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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.