California Jury Finds Round-Up Weed Killer Causes Cancer

Weed killer causes cancer

A jury sitting in Federal Court in California found that the active ingredient in the popular weed killer Round-Up causes cancer. The jury returned its verdict on the bifurcated trial on Thursday, March 14, 2019, according to truthout.org. The decision on the “causation” part of the trial allows the plaintiff, a 70-year-old man suffering from non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, to pursue monetary damages including compensatory damages, consequential damages, pain and suffering, and possibly punitive damages in the second half of the trial. The date for that component of the trial has not been announced. The jury’s verdict, however, could pave the way for numerous additional plaintiffs to use this verdict in their favor.

The latest verdict against Monsanto proves what the state of California and scientists from the World Health Organization have maintained for many years: Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Round-Up causes non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. After hearing from the plaintiff’s experts and defense experts, the federal jury found by a preponderance of the evidence that Glyphosate was a “substantial factor” in causing the plaintiff’s cancer. The jury did not have to find that using Round-Up, thereby exposing himself to Glyphosate, was the exclusive cause of cancer.

The plaintiff used Round-Up, manufactured by chemical giant Monsanto, for over 20 years on his private property according to testimony. After prolonged use of Round-Up, the plaintiff received a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2015. He sued Monsanto for damages in 2016.

This verdict is the second legal decision that went against Monsanto. In 2018, a plaintiff won over $280 million in damages by proving that Monsanto’s Round-Up product causes cancer. The plaintiff, in that case, was a career gardener who used Round-Up almost daily. The plaintiff in the current trial looks forward to presenting evidence of damages on his behalf.

Approximately 11,000 people have active claims against Monsanto pending alleging Round-Up gave them cancer.

N.B. : It should be noted that the cited article claims the jury found Monsanto “guilty.” That is false. The case was tried in civil court and not criminal court. The jury found that the company’s product was a “substantial factor” in causing cancer and did not return a “guilty” verdict.