Recently, I filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Monsanto Company, the manufacturer of Roundup, alleging Joseph Rogers, Sr. died from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma caused by the popular weedkiller. At issue: whether Mr. Rogers’ exposure to glyphosate—the active ingredient in Roundup—caused cancer.
Action News Jax report: Jacksonville widow suing Roundup manufacturer
After decades of spraying Roundup on his Jacksonville property, Mr. Rogers developed cancer in 2014 and died four years later at age 68. He took great pride in his lawn and for more than 30 years, used Roundup several times a week on the one-acre property he shared with his wife, Judy. A devoted husband, he loved to travel, attend church and coached baseball and soccer teams.
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Diagnosis
A routine blood test led to Mr. Joseph’s cancer diagnosis. He and his wife racked their brains trying to figure out what could have caused his cancer. After seeing news stories about Roundup and its cancer-causing active ingredient, glyphosate, they asked their doctor about it. He had independently concluded Mr. Rogers’ exposure to Roundup caused his illness.
New Studies
While Monsanto takes the position that glyphosate is safe and does not cause cancer in humans, scientific studies refute that claim. In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer labeled glyphosate a carcinogen. It found exposure to glyphosate led to Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia, B-cell lymphoma and multiple myeloma. And a University of Washington study found that glyphosate exposure increases the risk of some cancers by 40% or more.
Impact
Mr. Rogers died two weeks before the couple’s 47thwedding anniversary. The couple planned to take a cruise to Spain to celebrate it. Mrs. Rogers lost her best friend and is adjusting to life alone. Her dream was to retire at 65 so they could travel more. Instead, she is still working.
Roundup Lawsuits
Mrs. Rogers is one of more than 13,000 Americans who have filed cases against Monsanto alleging Roundup is defective, dangerous to human health, unsuitable for consumer use and lacked the proper warnings about its dangers.
Three cases have already gone to trial; in each one, the jury sided with consumers finding glyphosate was a substantial factor in causing their non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Jurors agreed that Monsanto, owned by Bayer AG, failed to warn consumers of the weedkiller’s dangers.
Last week, a California jury awarded a couple $2.055 billion in damages finding Roundup likely caused the couple’s cancer. $52 million was awarded in noneconomic damages, $3.2 million in economic damages, and $2 billion was awarded in punitive damages.
More Claims
Last year, Bayer AG bought Monsanto and is now responsible for more than 13,000 claims alleging glyphosate causes cancer. I am pursuing Roundup cases on behalf of a number of victims with similar diagnoses of lymphoma. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that may be caused by exposure to Roundup, consider contacting me at (904) 632-2424 for a free case evaluation.
