888-681-1129|Roundup®| At A Glance
The Roundup litigation continues to grow with more claims coming to light in the past few months. Here’s what you need to know:
What is Roundup?
Roundup is an herbicide used to treat and prevent the growth of weeds. One of the most common ingredients in herbicides is glyphosate. Glyphosate is an ingredient found in Roundup.
Roundup was first introduced to the market in the 1970’s by Monsanto and is commonly used by a range of consumers from farmers and landscapers to home gardeners.
What are the major injuries?
Recent years have shown a connection between repeated exposure to Roundup and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system. In 2015, after reviewing the available published scientific evidence, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified glyphosate as a “probable human carcinogen”. Plaintiffs are suing Monsanto and Bayer for failing to warn consumers about the dangers of using a glyphosate-based herbicide and concealing evidence of the dangers of the product to protect sales.
Where are the cases?
In 2016, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) established MDL 2741, consolidating federal Roundup cases in the Northern District of California under Judge Vince Chhabria. There are also California state court cases filed under the Judicial Council Coordinated Proceedings (JCCP). The Roundup JCCP in California was created to address the high volume of pending cases involving the popular herbicide. In addition, a significant number of cases were filed in the state of Missouri in St. Louis, where Monsanto is headquartered. Judge Michael Mullen, a St. Louis Circuit Court Judge, will preside over some of the cases.
Who are the potential defendants?
The defendants in this litigation are Monsanto and Bayer. While Roundup is a product that was manufactured under the Monsanto brand, Monsanto was acquired by Bayer in 2016 for over $60 billion; the deal was finalized in 2018 with Bayer’s announcement that it would drop the Monsanto name and would be known in the future only as Bayer. As a result of this acquisition, both Monsanto and Bayer will be considered defendants in this litigation.
Who is on leadership?
Plaintiff leadership includes co-lead counsel of Robin Greenwald of Weitz & Luxenberg P.C., Aimee Wagstaff of Andrus Wagstaff P.C., and Michael Miller of The Miller Firm LLC. The Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee consists of Michael Baum from Baum Hedlund Aristei and Goldman, Hunter Lundy of Lundy Lundy Soileau & South, and Yvonne Flaherty of Lockridge Grindal Nauen. Members of the Liaison Counsel include Lori Andrus of Andrus Anderson LLP and Mark Burton of Audet and Partners.
For the latest developments, please read our blog posts on Roundup.
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