A Roundup lawsuit has been filed by a woman who claims the herbicide caused her to develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Plaintiff Stacy S. says in her Roundup lawsuit that she used Roundup from 1993 to 2009 on her Louisiana property. She was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in November 2009.

In Roundup, Monsanto mixed the unique herbicidal properties of glyphosate with the surfactant POEA and other substances that have always been reported as inert. Because Monsanto claims Roundup’s chemical formulation is akin to a secret recipe, the exact inert ingredients and their amounts are not disclosed. Increasing evidence allegedly indicates these additional compounds in Roundup are not inert but are toxic, particularly when mixed with glyphosate.

Roundup usually kills treated plants in two or three days. Because plants absorb the herbicide, the glyphosate cannot be removed by washing or peeling the fruits or vegetables that have been sprayed.

The Roundup lawsuit alleges that “Monsanto championed falsified data and attacked legitimate studies that revealed its dangers. Monsanto led a prolonged campaign of misinformation to convince government agencies, farmers and the general population that Roundup was safe.”

From the time Roundup was first introduced in the mid-1970s until today, Monsanto has insisted that the herbicide can kill weeds without harming people or the environment.

Roundup Lawsuit Alleges Fraud in Monsanto Tests

According to the Roundup lawsuit, “[o]n two occasions, the EPA found that the laboratories hired by Monsanto to test the toxicity of its Roundup products for registration purposes committed fraud.”

Stacy’s complaint says that Industrial Bio-Test (IBT) laboratories conducted tests of Roundup for Monsanto prior to the herbicide’s initial registration with the EPA. The FDA inspected IBT in 1976 and found differences between the original data and the final report on glyphosate’s toxicology evaluations. The EPA “found the toxicology studies conducted for the Roundup herbicide to be invalid.” In 1983, three top IBT executives were convicted of fraud.

Monsanto also allegedly hired Craven Laboratories to conduct pesticide and herbicide studies on products, including Roundup, in 1991. Craven’s owner and three employees were indicted and convicted of fraud for the lab procedures it used to test pesticides and herbicides.

According to the Roundup lawsuit, Monsanto began developing and selling genetically engineered Roundup Ready seeds in 1996 as a strategy to maintain market dominance.  Monsanto’s patent for glyphosate was expiring in the U.S. in the year 2000, and the company needed to find an avenue that would secure its status.

Genetically modified (GMO) crops were conceived, advertised as being resistant to Roundup. When GMO seeds are planted,  “farmers can spray Roundup onto their fields during the growing season without harming the crop.”

The Roundup lawsuit goes on to point out that “by 2000, Monsanto’s biotechnology seeds were planted on more than 80 million acres worldwide and nearly 70% of American soybeans were planted from Roundup Ready seeds.”

Roundup Lawsuit Alleges False Sense of Safety Instilled in Consumers

The New York Attorney General filed a lawsuit against Monsanto in 1996, alleging the company made false and misleading advertising statements regarding its Roundup products. The lawsuit particularly challenged Monsanto’s claims that Roundup was “safer than table salt” and “practically non-toxic” to mammals, birds and fish.

In November 1996, Monsanto signed an Assurance of Discontinuance with the New York Attorney General. The company agreed, among other promises, “to cease and desist from publishing or broadcasting any advertising (in New York) that represent, directly or by implication” that glyphosate-containing products are “practically non-toxic” or that they are “good” for the environment.

If you have used glyphosate-containing herbicides and developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma, you could qualify for participation in a Roundup lawsuit.

The Roundup Lawsuit is Case No. 2:17-cv-08663-JTM-JVM in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

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.

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