Roundup Lawsuit Update For 2021

The pharmaceutical company Bayer AG has resolved about 96,000 of approximately 125,000 U.S. product liability claims filed against Roundup-a glyphosate-based herbicide linked to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (and other diseases). Bayer AG (Monsanto) has paid nearly $11 billion in block settlement arrangements with the plaintiffs’ lawyers so far.

Roundup Lawsuit Update: December 2021

Bayer AG stock has dipped nearly 53 percent since acquiring Monsanto in 2018. A huge reason behind the sharp decline is the swarms of Roundup-related lawsuits Bayer started battling that same year. To date, Bayer AG has awarded nearly $11 billion in compensation for personal injury claims and class action lawsuits in the U.S.

Bayer AG faces a class-action lawsuit in Germany from over 250 investors claiming the pharmaceutical giant deceived them by hiding the risk of acquiring Monsanto Co.
Bayer wins its second consecutive jury trial against a cancer patient, Donnetta Stephens, who claimed that using Roundup weedkiller resulted in her non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) diagnosis in 2017. The jury concluded that Stephens’ cancer was not related to Roundup use. The trial is among the few Roundup litigations to come out in favor of Bayer.
The Supreme Court asks U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar for the Biden administration’s input on whether the court should review Bayer’s appeal of a $25 million verdict to a Roundup cancer trial’s plaintiff, Edwin Hardeman. Following this request, Bayer announces it is pausing any further Roundup claim settlements until the appeal’s outcome.

Roundup Lawsuit Update: November 2021

California’s high court upholds its multi-million-dollar verdict in damages to a Livermore couple.

The California Supreme Court rejects Bayer’s request to appeal an $86.7 million verdict for a Livermore couple diagnosed with cancer after years of spraying Roundup weed killer on their property.

Roundup Lawsuit Update: October 2021

A jury sides with Bayer, granting the company its first jury win. Bayer tries to dismiss a class-action lawsuit from investors against the pharma giant.

Bayer AG scores its first win in a case over a mother’s claims that the herbicide was responsible for her son’s rare form of NHL. Ezra Clark’s mother argued that he only developed cancer after being exposed to Roundup, which she sprayed on weeds at their home. Bayer’s lawyers tell the jury that Ezra’s limited exposure to the product could not have resulted in his illness. Ultimately, the jury sides with Bayer AG.
Bayer asks a federal judge to dismiss a class-action lawsuit that claims the company defrauded its shareholders by not doing enough due diligence and downplaying the litigation risks associated with acquiring Monsanto. Bayer asserts that the acquisition only seems poor in hindsight. Its stock price has continued to plummet since the first Roundup-related litigation in 2018, and shareholders feel misled.
A federal judge rules that investors can continue to sue Bayer for misleading them about the pharma giant’s quality of due diligence done on Monsanto before its acquisition. However, the judge declines to advance the class action lawsuit in its entirety, rejecting the allegation that Bayer did not convey the full extent of litigation risks, as the company could not have accurately calculated its potential losses.

Roundup Lawsuit Update: September 2021

The Donnetta Stephens v. Monsanto lawsuit progresses. Stephens’ son testifies, and Monsanto scientist defends Roundup’s safety.

The Donnetta Stephens trial, centered on a woman diagnosed with NHL after using Roundup weed killer for more than 30 years, continues in California. Her son testifies about his mother’s use of Roundup while gardening.
Monsanto’s lawyer cross-examines Donnetta Stephens over her claims that Roundup killer caused her NHL. Stephens states that she has difficulty remembering specific details of using Roundup and struggles to answer questions.
Monsanto’s toxicologist, Donna Farmer, tells the jury that Roundup weed killer is safe for humans and that she uses it regularly in her own home and recommends it to her friends.

Roundup Lawsuit Update: August 2021

A U.S. Government scientist testifies in the fourth Roundup cancer trial against Bayer. An appeals court upholds another verdict against Bayer. California requires the plaintiff to participate in the settlement process.

A California appeals court upholds a $86 million verdict that found Roundup weed killer responsible for a couple’s cancer. Following the loss, Bayer files a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the appeals court’s verdict.
Dr. Christopher Portier, a former U.S. Government scientist, testifies as an expert witness in Donnetta Stephens’ lawsuit against Monsanto. In his testimony, he states that he believes glyphosate herbicide exposure could result in the development of NHL.
The Northern District of California requires current and future Monsanto Glyphosate Multidistrict Program (MDL) litigants who have yet to settle with Bayer to participate in the settlement process. The claimants will have to submit information adhering to a schedule, after which the information will be challenged and evaluated before being awarded.

Roundup Lawsuit Update: July 2021

Bayer announces its plans to remove glyphosate from its weed killer product line. New trials begin in California. Bayer proposes additional funds to cover Roundup-related lawsuits.

Bayer says it plans to remove its glyphosate-based products, including Roundup, from retail stores by 2023 and replace them with a new formulation with alternative active ingredients. The company states that this move was made to avoid expensive lawsuits in the future and not due to safety concerns. The original product will still be available to professionals and large-scale agricultural operations.
Bayer claims to set aside an additional $4.5 billion to cover litigation related to Roundup, per Reuters.
A new trial starts in a California courtroom for plaintiff Donnetta Stephens, who used Roundup for over 30 years and claims the herbicide caused her NHL in 2017. This will be the fourth trial over Roundup weed killer causing NHL.
Plaintiff Michael Langford files a new Roundup lawsuit in California. Langford was diagnosed with NHL in 2007 and subsequently developed other cancers. He had been spraying Roundup on his 5.5-acre property since 1985.

Roundup Lawsuit Update: June 2021

Bayer hints at pulling glyphosate-based products from residential use.

Bayer proposes removing glyphosate from Roundup weed killer but states that the original version will still be available to professional and agricultural users.
Bayer urges the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to rule that federal law preempts failure-to-warn claims. The company contends that since the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) did not find glyphosate to be a likely carcinogen, Bayer could not be required to warn customers of cancer risk.

Roundup Lawsuit Update: May 2021

A federal appeals court upholds its $25 million verdict against Bayer, finding that Roundup did cause a California resident’s NHL. Later in the month, a U.S. judge deals another blow to Bayer by rejecting its settlement offer for future claims.

A federal appeals court in San Francisco upholds its $25 million verdict for Edwin Hardeman, whose case, Bayer argues, should never have gone to trial.
U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria advises Bayer AG to consider including a warning label on Roundup pesticide as part of their proposed $2 billion settlement deal. Doing so would prevent new lawsuits and free more funds for victims.
Judge Chhabria rejects Bayer’s attempt to settle future cancer claims with its $2 billion settlement offer.
Bayer outlines a new 5-action plan. One of the strategies includes reformulating the Roundup product to remove glyphosate.

Roundup Lawsuit Update: April 2021

Lead plaintiff’s attorneys accuse Bayer of a “pay to appeal” scheme, which Bayer later dismisses as “inflammatory rhetoric.”

The lead lawyers who litigated three successful trials and made Bayer pay $11 billion in a settlement claim to have found evidence of a deal between Monsanto and a plaintiff’s lawyer. The legal team asks the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit to dismiss the case, as they said Monsanto attempted to buy a favorable appellate ruling.
Monsanto denies the assertion, calling it “inflammatory rhetoric and mistaken assertions.” Monsanto’s lawyer, Michael Imbroscio, further stated, “Non-parties do not have a veto right over another plaintiff’s litigation strategy because they would prefer, for their own self-interested reasons, that a federal court of appeals not decide an important question of federal law.”

Roundup Lawsuit Update: March 2021

The outrage against Bayer’s proposed settlement gains traction. Bayer backs out of an appeal request against one plaintiff’s litigation. Attorneys leading litigations demand more money.

Along with lawyers expressing their disapproval of Bayer’s proposed $2 billion settlement for future lawsuits, people living with cancer ask a federal judge to reject the proposed settlement.
Bayer announces it will not appeal a $20 million settlement verdict against Dewayne Johnson, who claimed Roundup caused his NHL, bringing the litigation to a close.
Law firms representing litigation against Bayer AG argue that they deserve a bigger slice of the $9.6 billion in compensation the pharma giant agreed to pay to resolve 125,000 claims. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria denies the request to give the legal counsel about $800 million in attorney fees.

Roundup Lawsuit Update: February 2021

Bayer reaches a settlement to cover future personal injury claims by NHL victims exposed to Roundup before being diagnosed with cancer.

Bayer AG proposes to earmark $2 billion over a four-year settlement period to cover claimants’ compensation and other medical assistance. Each claimant could potentially receive up to $200,000 under this plan.
Lawyers object to Bayer’s proposed plan, saying the current Roundup users who develop cancer will be automatically subjected to the class settlement regulations and, unless they opt out within a specific period, will not be able to sue Bayer in the future for punitive damages.

Roundup Lawsuit Update: January 2021

Bayer closes one more case. Plus, glyphosate-based pesticides are banned from use on state-owned properties in New York.

Bayer settles a wrongful death case with plaintiff Jamie Alvarez Calderon, who worked in a winery for 33 years and applied Monsanto’s herbicides across acres of property every day. He went home with his clothes drenched in the herbicide each day. He was diagnosed with NHL in 2014 and succumbed to cancer in December 2020. Alvarez’s settlement amount will go to his four sons.
New York announces plans to ban the use of glyphosate on all state properties by the end of 2021.

You May Qualify for a Roundup Settlement Claim

Monsanto’s Roundup continues to be a widely used herbicide. Farmers, landscapers, and gardeners continue to use this product, unaware of its cancer-causing potential.

There’s mounting evidence Monsanto was aware of the product’s carcinogenic effects but continued to sell this herbicide to consumers for decades while proactively trying to bury evidence of Roundup’s toxic impact.

Companies like Monsanto and Bayer AG must be held accountable. While the company has agreed to $10 billion in compensation, it still has not added warning labels or stopped selling the product. It has not admitted any liability or offered any apology for causing serious harm to many people worldwide.

Connect With a Lawyer to Get Started

If you or a loved one developed cancer or another disease after prolonged exposure to Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer, you may have grounds to pursue a Roundup settlement claim by joining a mass tort.

A settlement will help you hold the company accountable and may cover the costs of medical treatments, job loss, and other trauma you may have suffered because of Bayer’s negligence.

Fill out our contact form today to connect with a mass tort lawsuit lawyer in our network.