How Long Does a Roundup Lawsuit Take?
A Roundup lawsuit could take a long time, but you might recover damages once your case concludes. Most of the cases involving the herbicide involve large corporations and huge sums of money. Also, it takes time for both sides to gather evidence and prepare their arguments. This means by the time court proceedings begin, the process can take several years before reaching its conclusion.
Undoubtedly, you will have to fight an uphill battle against one of the biggest corporations for justice for yourself or your family members affected by Roundup. Fortunately, a Roundup attorney can help you fight for your compensation. If your case is already taking a long time, they can help you with an appeal and seek to recover damages on your behalf.
Who Can File a Roundup Lawsuit Against Monsanto?
If you’ve developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia or another cancer, you may be eligible to file a Monsanto Roundup lawsuit. You are also eligible for compensation if you have given birth to a child with birth defects after Roundup exposure.
Also, farmers and agricultural workers who use this product regularly as part of their jobs can file Roundup suits. At risk for developing Roundup-related cancer are homeowners who use Roundup regularly on their lawns and gardens or anyone else who has been frequently exposed to the herbicide in some way.
A non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis can be devastating for a patient and their family. Not only does it mean dealing with serious illness, but it also means receiving physically painful and financially crippling treatments. Fortunately, those affected by this product have legal options. They can seek to recover damages they suffered.
The Difference Between Roundup Class Action and an Individual Roundup Lawsuit
In an individual lawsuit, only one person sues to recover damages for themselves or the family members affected by the product. However, in a class action, many people with similar injuries band together to sue as a group. This allows plaintiffs to pool their resources together to hire attorneys and expert witnesses who can help them prove their case.
The Monsanto Company is facing a growing number of lawsuits from individuals who claim their exposure to Roundup caused them to develop non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In fact, many of these lawsuits have been combined into a class action lawsuit against Monsanto.
Class Actions Can Boost Plaintiffs’ Resources
The claims in a class action are generally the same for everyone. The court will hear evidence from a small number of representative individuals and decide the case for everyone in the plaintiff class. Class actions plaintiffs pool their resources together into one case before the court. This saves time and money by allowing attorneys to represent all plaintiffs at once rather than having each person file their own case individually. Also, the attorneys who work on these cases have access to information about other similar cases and can make arguments based on this collective knowledge.
On the other hand, individual Roundup lawsuit plaintiffs choose their own attorney. The plaintiff will have to show they suffered damages because of Monsanto’s negligence to win compensation. You may have more control over when and how your case moves forward. You could also decide to terminate your case if you don’t feel comfortable proceeding – due to a lack of funds or other reasons.
How to File a Roundup Lawsuit
Filing a Roundup cancer claim may seem complicated, but it can be as simple as following five steps. An experienced Roundup lawsuit attorney can also assist with the process.
Obtain a Diagnosis
Your physician can confirm whether you have non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, or another form of cancer linked to glyphosate exposure and begin treatment if necessary. There are many reports of serious injuries due to exposure to Roundup. These include:
- Lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes)
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL)
- B-cell lymphoma
- Leukemia (blood cancer)
- Multiple myeloma
Gather Healthcare Information
To prove that your cancer is related to Roundup, you will need copies of your medical records and other documentation. This includes:
- Diagnosis and staging reports
- Pathology reports (biopsy results)
- Doctor’s notes from before and after diagnosis
- Bills from medical treatment and hospital visits
- Other medical documentation linked to your diagnosis
It is crucial to have all this documentation before filing a lawsuit. It helps determine whether you have a valid case against Monsanto.
Give Evidence of Exposure
To file a claim against Monsanto, you must show that your exposure to Roundup caused your cancer diagnosis. The company has consistently argued that there is no clear link between glyphosate and cancer.
However, mounting research evidence shows that Roundup use actually causes cancer. Because of this conflict, you must gather evidence of exposure through different means, including:
- Medical records documenting diagnosis dates
- Lab tests showing elevated levels of glyphosate in blood samples
- Email exchanges between Monsanto executives discussing how they should handle public concerns about their products
- Corporate documents showing internal discussions about the safety
Consider Your Losses
You need to determine the losses suffered due to exposure to Roundup. To help your chances of recovering financial awards, you will have to prove your exposure to Roundup caused your loss by evaluating your economic and non-economic damages. An attorney can help you evaluate these losses and determine how much money you should seek in a settlement.
Economic Damages
These are financial losses that victims suffer because of the disease or injury. For example, if your loved one was diagnosed with cancer and then died, their death would be considered an economic loss because it resulted in lost income for them and their family members who depended on them financially. You could also claim reimbursement for medical expenses related to their treatment as well as funeral costs or other expenses associated with their death.
Non-Economic Damages
These expenses aren’t related to economic losses, but they were caused by Roundup exposure. These damages include:
- Physical pain
- Emotional or mental anguish
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
The amount of compensation for non-economic damages will depend on many factors, including the severity of your cancer diagnosis and prognosis as well.
In June 2019, the Court of Appeal of the State of California ordered Monsanto to pay $2 billion to married couple Alva and Alberta Pilliod, who claimed that the couple’s use of Roundup caused their cancer diagnoses. Each would receive $1 billion in punitive damages and separate amounts for pain and suffering and other non-economic losses.
Contact a Roundup Attorney
The final stage in filing a Roundup lawsuit is to speak with an attorney who can guide you through the lawsuit process. Also, you should learn your legal options as soon as possible so that you can file a claim before time runs out. The statute of limitations deadline for filing claims against Monsanto began when the injury occurred or when it was discovered, whichever comes first.
This means if you have used Roundup for years and only recently became aware of its dangerous side effects, there may still be time to file suit against Monsanto Company. For instance, in Alabama, you have two years to file your Roundup lawsuit for a product liability case.
Roundup Lawsuit Settlement
The Roundup lawsuit settlement was created to help compensate victims of Roundup exposure. Monsanto signed payment agreements in about 100,000 Roundup claims as of April 2022, which paid $11 billion. Bayer, which acquired Monsanto for $63 billion, has arranged block settlement agreements with plaintiffs’ lawyers who have a significant number of cases pending.
However, these agreements cover roughly 80% of the ongoing cases. There are currently over 26,000 cases filed in state courts, with new lawsuits against Roundup being filed daily. Bayer has agreed to set an additional $4.5 billion to manage anticipated claims through settlements.
Roundup Lawsuit Settlement Amounts
Lawsuits filed against Monsanto have grown considerably since a San Francisco jury awarded $289 million to Dewayne Johnson in 2018. Johnson, a groundskeeper, claimed using Roundup gave him terminal cancer. Since then, more people have claimed that exposure to Roundup caused them non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
In 2020, Bayer announced it had reached a $10 billion settlement and would continue to deny all allegations of wrongdoing, as NBC News reports.
The settlement was broken as follows: $8.8 to $9.6 billion will be paid out to current lawsuits, and $1.25 billion will go toward settling potential litigation in the future.
Also, how much money you’re awarded depends on the seriousness of damages, how many people file claims, and how much time it takes for each case to be resolved. The more people who file claims, the less money each person gets, particularly in mass tort litigation.
Roundup Lawsuit Payout
A Roundup lawsuit payout can be substantial, especially if you have been diagnosed with a serious health condition — such as cancer.
Roundup lawsuits are being filed against Monsanto, claiming that the herbicide causes cancer. According to court documents, thousands of people have filed lawsuits against Monsanto over Roundup cancer claims. Most of these people were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), while some were diagnosed with other forms of blood cancers, such as leukemia and Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL).
In the wake of these cases against the company, many people wonder how much they can expect from their own Roundup cases. While there is no way to know exactly how much your case will settle for until your case has been fully assessed and you have reached a settlement agreement with Monsanto, you can get a rough idea of what you might be entitled to by looking at similar cases.
The amount each plaintiff receives will depend on:
- The type of cancer they have (each type has its own level of risk).
- The extent to which their health has deteriorated as a result
- How long have you used the product? The longer someone has been exposed to Roundup, the higher their risk of developing cancer.
- Medical bills related to the treatment of the disease.
So, How Long Does a Roundup Lawsuit Take?
How long it takes for a Roundup lawsuit to reach its end depends on various factors. That being said, some lawsuits tend to work themselves out after several years. The Roundup lawsuit is a bit more complicated than a car accident lawsuit. The complexity of the case means it’s likely to take a long time to conclude.
After filing a complaint with the court, the plaintiff must prove that they have been harmed by using the product. The defendant is then served with notice of the proceeding. This allows them time to respond and file an answer with the court. The defendant may also file counterclaims against the plaintiff to defend themselves against the allegations.
Proving Your Roundup Case Against Monsanto Is Important
Both sides will then argue their cases before a judge or jury at trial. If you win at trial, you will receive compensation for your losses caused by Roundup exposure—but only if you prove Monsanto’s product caused those damages beyond a reasonable doubt, as the law requires.
These Roundup lawsuits are filed under a legal procedure called multidistrict litigation (MDL) to make them more manageable. Under MDL, all pre-trial matters are consolidated before one judge in one district court. This prevents the same issues from being litigated repeatedly in different courts. This serves two purposes: it saves time and money by streamlining the discovery process across all cases and ensures that judges in different districts are not issuing conflicting rulings on the same legal issues. This process can drastically reduce the time it would take if one case was handled at a time.
Contact Us to Connect With a Roundup Lawsuit Lawyer
Roundup lawsuits can take years to resolve. Mass tort lawyers within our network can help represent you in court. Roundup lawsuit lawyers understand the science of your case and the law. They will also give you the best legal options available, helping you claim your damages within the minimum time possible.
If you need help finding an attorney who can help you get the compensation, contact us today for help with your case. We can put you in touch with attorneys in our network who are ready to advise you on your next steps during a free consultation.