How Much Will I Get From a Roundup Settlement?

Roundup Settlement

Bayer, the company that manufactures Roundup weedkiller, has paid and will continue to pay billions of dollars in financial damages to people whose health was compromised by the use of this product. New cases are being brought against the company, as well, making it difficult to know how many injured plaintiffs will receive compensation from the settlement funds. That also makes it hard to determine how much you could receive from a Roundup settlement.

Our network of attorneys is helping landscapers, groundskeepers, and others injured by exposure to Roundup pursue recoverable damages. The mass tort lawsuit lawyer who represents you will help you accurately calculate your damages and build a compelling case for monetary compensation. Your lawyer will also explain how mass torts lawsuits are formed and help you join the case against the Roundup manufacturer.

Scoring Plaintiffs

Mass torts lawsuits differ from class action lawsuits in one key aspect-not all injured parties receive identical amounts of recoverable damages. Accordingly, every injured plaintiff who gets a piece of the Roundup settlement will not receive the same amount. Instead, each plaintiff’s share is calculated using a ranking system based on the following factors:

  • Their type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma 
  • Their age at the time they were diagnosed
  • The stage and degree of their cancer 
  • The length and severity of their treatment protocol
  • Their type and degree of exposure to Roundup

To foster equity and fairness, an impartial third-party administrator will score each plaintiff. Because your score as a Roundup plaintiff is based on your case’s unique details, the mass tort lawyer who represents you will compile evidence and ensure it accurately depicts your circumstances.

Additionally, independent contractors are working with public and private insurance companies to negotiate payment of cancer-related medical bills, as these must be paid from each individual settlement amount. The goal of these negotiations is to prevent the cost of their medical care from taking the whole of a plaintiff’s settlement share. 

What Is the Roundup Lawsuit Payout?

According to NPR reports from June 2020, Bayer, the manufacturer of Roundup weed killer, will pay over $10 billion to settle multiple lawsuits. This recent settlement agreement excludes three separate lawsuits that are currently active. 

All lawsuits allege that exposure to the weed killer caused plaintiffs to develop cancer due to its active ingredient, glyphosate. National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) research cites the following as ways you might have been exposed to glyphosate through Roundup:

  • Spraying Roundup in residential or commercial applications
  • Being in close proximity to Roundup while it was being sprayed
  • Getting the product on your skin or in your eyes
  • Ingesting the product due to failure to wash properly after exposure
  • Touching plants or grass that have been treated with Roundup

Prolonged or repeated exposure to Roundup can be dangerous. Farmers, groundskeepers, and home or commercial gardeners may have an increased risk of exposure. 

Average Numbers for Your Roundup Settlement

On your own, it can be hard to understand how the most recent Roundup settlement affects you and how much you can anticipate receiving as one of many injured parties. The following numbers can help you understand how current and future settlements will be allocated:

  • The amount each claimant or potential claimant will receive is based on a scoring system that weighs their age, health, and extent of Roundup exposure, among other things.
  • The June 2020 settlement agreement with Bayer resolves hundreds of thousands of Roundup cases. The average payout is expected to come in at approximately $160,000 per plaintiff. 
  • Additional funds, over and above the nearly $11 billion settlement fund, have been set aside to compensate future claimants. These individuals are expected to receive between $5,000 and $200,000 each, depending on how their lawsuit is scored.

Until you file an individual suit-some are still pending-or start or join a multi-plaintiff case, the exact value of your damages cannot be understood. You might also have to undergo the scoring system to know how your case will be valued and how your damages will be assessed.

How Is My Own Damage Award Calculated?

In general, the damage award you might receive as part of a current or future Roundup lawsuit settlement can include a variety of expenses and losses. The damages you can typically recover compensation for include:

  • Physical injuries
  • Treatment protocol
  • Loss of income 
  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional trauma
  • Punitive damages

Understanding the damages that you are entitled to and the way injured parties are scored can be difficult without legal support and guidance. The lawyer who represents you will assess your initial damages and explain your potential position in the scoring system. This cumulative effect will determine how your range of recoverable damages are calculated.

Injuries You Suffered

Mutation Research/Reviews in Mutation Research, cites Roundup’s active ingredient, glyphosate, as a carcinogenic substance. Their research notes a 41% increase in the risk of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma with repeated exposure to glyphosate. Other potential cancer diagnoses include:

  • Leukemia
  • B-cell lymphoma
  • Multiple myeloma

When your or a loved one’s cancer diagnosis can be tied to the use of Roundup, you can demand compensation for the risks and damage to your or your family member’s health. Medical records, employment records, receipts for Roundup purchases, and proof that it was used in the workplace can help establish a link between the diagnosis and Roundup. 

Other Side Effects of Glyphosate Exposure

According to Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) research, exposure to Roundup can have other adverse health effects, including:

  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Skin and eye irritation
  • Respiratory ailments

Long-term exposure can lead to more serious health damage than short-term or intermittent exposure. Landscapers, groundskeepers, farmers, and others who work with Roundup are at an increased risk of adverse reactions to glyphosate. 

Income/Wages You Lost

As part of your Roundup case, you can seek compensation for your injury-related lost income and wages. This portion of your damages case will include income you lose when the effects of your cancer or treatment will not allow you to work. You could recover lost wages and income from:

  • Full-time employment
  • Part-time employment
  • Freelance employment

Many people today work in the gig economy industry as rideshare or delivery service drivers. The lawyer who handles your case will work with you to ensure your loss of income from all employment sources are included in your request for damages.

Treating cancer can be a grueling and long-term process. According to Mayo Clinic research, cancers like non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma can require chemotherapy, radiation therapy, bone marrow transplants, and other specialized treatments. It can also include counseling and the learning of coping skills. The time these treatments and their aftermath take away from your ability to work are compensable.

Pain and Suffering

Pain and suffering can have two distinct components-physical and psychological. Physical pain and suffering account for the pain and discomfort of your diagnosis and required treatments. This can include short- and long-term pain. Physical pain and suffering can encompass an entire range of pain and limitations to your physical abilities. 

The psychological portion of a pain and suffering assessment will include the mental and emotional anguish of living with a chronic or potentially terminal illness. It can also include the frustration of the changes your diagnosis forces on your lifestyle and preferred activities. Mental and emotional pain and suffering can include:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Distress
  • Insomnia 
  • Grief

Psychological pain and suffering can also include compensation for your diminished quality of life. Your medical records-including records of any mental health care you receive-will help prove your degree of pain and suffering. For example, this may include counseling, therapy, and other treatments that help you cope with an adverse diagnosis. 

Punitive Damages 

Plaintiffs who were damaged by Roundup exposure allege that the manufacturer was aware of the potential threat to consumer health caused by exposure. When companies make products available to the public, they are required to inform end users of potential side effects and dangers. When they fail to do so, these companies can be held liable for the resulting damages. 

Punitive damages are rarely awarded in civil lawsuits, but it is possible to receive them in mass tort cases. They are intended to be a type of legal punishment to prevent similar future irresponsibility and negligence. Juries typically award punitive damages on top of economic and non-economic damages if they determine the at-fault party’s actions were:

  • Intentional
  • Outrageous
  • Egregious
  • Reckless 

By itself, negligence is not enough to warrant adding punitive damages to a plaintiff’s potential compensation award. Instead, the at-fault party’s actions must fit one of the criteria listed above. Because punitive damages can significantly increase a settlement, they are often contested or appealed. 

Roundup Settlement Amounts: What Can Victims Expect?

Resolving a civil lawsuit can take time and patience. Even getting paid after a verdict has been reached or a settlement has been agreed to can take more time than you might expect. Due to Bayer’s latest agreement to pay more than $10 billion dollars to settle many-but not all-of its pending cases, some Roundup victims can expect to receive settlement checks relatively soon. 

Others must wait for the scoring process before receiving payment. No one can predict or guarantee the precise amount of compensation you can expect to receive. This number will be based on a range of factors, including the extent of your exposure to Roundup and the degree of damage you incurred.

Roundup Settlement Amounts: Potential Payouts for Victims

Roundup’s manufacturer, Bayer, has recently agreed to resolve as many as 100,000 pending lawsuits with a $10 billion dollar settlement fund. This fund also allocates a specific amount for future settlements. According to Environmental Health News estimates, each participant in this settlement could receive up to $160,000. 

This figure is not definitive, as other estimates put the range of anticipated individual payouts at between $5,000 and $200,000 per plaintiff. These numbers are ambiguous, though, and should not form the basis for your anticipated monetary award.

The potential for your individual payout and its probable timeline are subjective, based on a third-party scoring system, and should be reviewed with the law firm that represents you. The attorneys in our network work hard to ensure these cases are accurately valued and scored prior to their clients’ receipt of payment.

When Will Roundup Victims Get Their Settlement Money?

Like all legal matters, the previous and upcoming Roundup cases can take a significant amount of time to go through the court system or to reach an out-of-court settlement. Even the settlement process may not move as swiftly as you might think. Many things have to take place between a settlement agreement and you receiving a settlement check: 

  • Your individual payment amount will be determined using a scoring system.
  • A settlement check will be issued to the law firm representing you.
  • The law firm will deduct their previously agreed upon contingency fee.

You will be issued a payment afterward. It might be further delayed, though, if there are any legal matters that hold up payment disbursement, such as appeals or other disputes. In addition, the scoring system is conducted by an independent, third-party consultant and can take time. Your lawyer will explain the possible timeline in greater detail and ensure you understand their fee agreement and how payment will be made to you.

Consult a Roundup Lawsuit Attorney

If you or someone you love was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or another form of cancer that can be connected to the use of Roundup weed killer, our network of attorneys can help. Find out how much you can get from a Roundup settlement by calling 800-874-8678 today.