Since Roundup can be used for personal and commercial uses, chances are you may have used this herbicide to kill weeds right down to the root in your garden or yard. While it’s highly effective, some research studies show it can cause cancer.

You can file lawsuits or sue Bayer for compensation if you’re diagnosed with a malignant tumor (cancer), with a reasonable belief that it is caused by Roundup herbicide use.

This article will walk you through everything you need to know about Roundup cancer lawsuits.

What’s Roundup Exactly?

Roundup – one of the most profitable and popular weed killers worldwide – is a chemical herbicide from Bayer. Originally developed and sold by Monsanto (now defunct) in 1974, the company manufactured a wide array of herbicides (weed killers) and other products under the brand name Roundup.

According to one report, over 13.4 billion pounds of Roundup have been applied to various crops worldwide in the last decade. 2.6 billion pounds of Roundup were sprayed on American agricultural lands alone and has been the go-to weed killer for GMO crops since the 1990s.

Glyphosate: The Troubling Ingredient

Glyphosate – the most active ingredient within Roundup – is a non-selective herbicide, which means it will destroy most plants and crops. This weedkiller prevents plants and crops from making specific proteins required for crop growth.

Glyphosate is an increasingly used herbicide to kill weeds, mainly annual broadleaf weeds and grasses competing with crops. It can be utilized by anyone from farmers managing miles of crops, to homeowners tending to small gardens.

This broad-spectrum herbicide is toxic to crops and other plants, and the scariest part is that it can also harm humans and animals.

Roundup Cancer Lawsuits

Although Bayer and Monsanto settled more than 100,000 Roundup-glyphosate lawsuits (paying more than $11 billion in settlements until May 2022), there are over 30,000 lawsuits still pending – including 4,000 lawsuits in Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) in California.

Monsanto has faced several non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases filed by home gardeners, landscapers, farm workers, and farmers, alleging the herbicide caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma cancer.

Many lawsuits also accused Monsanto of deceptive marketing and scientific fraud. Although many lawsuits were successful in getting the desired payout, such as the 2018 San Francisco school groundskeeper case that won $86.7 million in damages, Bayer also won some of these Roundup cases.

Does Roundup Cause Cancer?

While the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests Roundup doesn’t cause cancer, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) categorizes glyphosate as a potential cause of cancer.

One study found that glyphosate exposure increases people’s risks of getting non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma by over 40%. Moreover, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study, Roundup was found in over 80% of urine samples from American adults and kids.

Considering that over 200 million pounds of glyphosate are sprayed by U.S. farmers on crops annually, it’s likely that most Americans (if not all) are already exposed to Roundup.

Who Can File Lawsuits Or Sue Bayer?

Using Roundup weedkiller or any other Monsanto-Bayer product with glyphosate chemical isn’t enough for filing lawsuit claims. It’s essential to show that you have experienced an injury due to usage.

In many Roundup-glyphosate cases, the diagnosis of lymphoma, especially non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, will allow you to file a lawsuit. You have to prove in a court of law that the cancer is due to exposure to glyphosate.

Your health condition and severity will be crucial in the lawsuit. To win damages against Bayer, make sure you’re ready to explain your health condition, present medical records, discuss how it affected your life, and more.

Time/Duration To File Roundup Lawsuits

If you or your loved one has been exposed to Roundup weedkiller and developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma, you can sue or file lawsuits against Bayer. However, you have to do it in a specific timeframe.

Nearly all states have a statute of limitations, typically up to five years, which installs a time limit for suing third parties for product liability.

The time usually starts when you’re either diagnosed with cancer or realize there’s a strong connection between your diagnosis and Roundup.

How Much Can You Get From Roundup Settlements?

Since every lawsuit is different, it’s hard to tell how much you’ll get from your Roundup lawsuit.

The damages and settlement depend on numerous factors such as disease diagnosis, medical prognosis, treatment costs you require, your work capacity, the treatment effect on your standard of living, your suffering and pain, and mental anguish.

In short, your case relies on injuries you receive and their subsequent effect on life. The better you document your sufferings, the more chances you have of winning.

Nevertheless, the average Roundup settlement is between $5,000-$250,000.

Wrapping Up

If you have cancerous symptoms, make sure to get timely medical treatment. And if you believe your cancer is because of Roundup use, it’s best to explore legal options and file for damages correctly, with enough records to back your claim.