A man has filed a lawsuit against Monsanto Company claiming that Roundup causes cancer and was responsible for his lymphoma diagnosis.

Plaintiff Leslie O. claims that his avoidable injuries were caused by Roundup, with known ingredient glyphosate. Leslie’s lawsuit claims that this chemical is “defective, dangerous to human health, unfit and unsuitable to be marketed and sold in commerce,” and that Roundup “lacked proper warnings and directions as to the dangers associated with its use.”

Leslie claims that, as a direct and proximate result of his exposure to Roundup, he developed non-Hodgkins lymphoma. He alleges Roundup causes cancer because of its active ingredient, glyphosate.

Glyphosate is a non-selective weed and grass killer that indiscriminately kills plants that contain a specific enzyme. Plants containing this enzyme that are sprayed with Roundup eventually died due to the disturbance of their shikimic pathway.

Despite its insistence that Roundup is safe, Monsanto was found to have engaged in deceptive and misleading statements about human and environmental safety of Roundup by the New York Attorney General in 1996, the lawsuit claims. As a result, Monsanto entered into an agreement to cease and desist publishing advertisements in New York that stated Roundup is safe, biodegradable, less toxic than other herbicides, “good for the environment,” or “practically non-toxic.”

According to Leslie’s lawsuit, Monsanto only altered its advertising in the state of New York and did not do so in other states.

The lawsuit also notes that “[i]n 2009, France’s highest court ruled that Monsanto had not told the truth about the safety of Roundup. The French court affirmed an earlier judgment that Monsanto had falsely advertised its herbicide Roundup as ‘biodegradable’ and that it ‘left the soil clean.'”

Is there Evidence that Roundup Causes Cancer?

The lawsuit states that Monsanto has been aware of evidence that Roundup causes cancer as early as the 1980s. In 1985, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classified glyphosate as a possible human carcinogen.

In March 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a specialized cancer agency that the World Health Organization (WHO) tasked to conduct research on the causes of cancer, determined that Roundup/glyphosate is a Class 2A probable carcinogen after it found an increased risk between glyphosate exposure and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The lawsuit goes on to claim that while other evidence that Roundup causes cancer was available, Monsanto failed to appropriately inform the plaintiff and the public at large of the dangers of glyphosate exposure with the use of their product.

This misinformation allegedly caused Leslie to suffer severe personal injuries “which are permanent and/or long-lasting in nature, cause significant physical pain and mental anguish, diminished enjoyment of life and the need for medical treatment, monitoring and/or medications.”

Leslie’s lawsuit accuses Monsanto of engaging in scientific fraud and of continually disregarding the safety of the plaintiff and the public.

Leslie has raised a number of allegations against Monsanto including negligence, strict products liability for design defect and failure to warn, breach of implied warranties and breach of express warranty. He is seeking compensatory damages for pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, healthcare costs, and economic loss. He is also seeking economic damages for medical expenses, lost earnings and other economic damages, out of pocket expenses, pre-and post-judgment interest, attorneys’ fees and costs and any additional relief deemed just and proper by the court.

The Roundup Lawsuit is Case No. 4:17-cv-02869-SPM, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.

If you or a loved one developed cancer after using Roundup as a farm worker or home gardener, you may have a legal claim. Legal migrant farm workers may also seek help. Learn more by filling out the form on this page for a FREE case evaluation.

Learn More