I am happy to report that in the first of its kind, a farmer stricken with non-Hodgkins lymphoma due to exposure to Roundup has won a huge monetary award in the courts.
And, boy, did he win BIG!
San Francisco jurors awarded Dwayne Johnson $289 million in damages. (1)
Hopefully, this August 2018 victory will set a huge precedent, opening the floodgates for the thousands of other lawsuits waiting in the wings, which will force Monsanto to take its dangerous herbicide and its clones off the market permanently. Several EU countries have banned Roundup already.
Not surprisingly, Monsanto insists Roundup is safe and has vowed to appeal.
A summary of some of the most prominent Roundup lawsuits still pending is outlined below. Hopefully, these cancer stricken farmers will see justice soon!
Hawaiian Farmer Monsanto Lawsuit
Christine Sheppard, a Hawaiian farmer, began using Roundup on her coffee farm in 2003. After coming down with non-Hodgkins lymphoma seven years later (she is now in remission), she and her husband decided to sue, charging that glyphosate is not safe for humans as claimed by the company.
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is one of the most common types of cancer associated with Roundup exposure.
Sheppard’s attorney Michael Miller was quoted by West Hawaii Today as saying that Monsanto is running a glyphosate “misinformation campaign” and said his clients’ suit would “force Monsanto to face the human consequences of their lies.”
In a big win for farmers and consumers alike, aggressive attempts by Monsanto attorneys to have the case dismissed have failed. Judge Michael Seabright ruled that Sheppard’s accusations may be accurate paving the way for the case to play out in the courts.
The case will be no easy win for Monsanto given the report by the World Health Organization which identified glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen, prompting bans by several EU countries.
Cancer Lawsuit not the First for Monsanto
The lawsuit by Ms. Sheppard is not the first.
Three Nebraskan farmers and one agronomist stricken with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma are also suing Monsanto for unspecified damages. Similar to Ms. Sheppard’s claims, they allege the company misled its customers about the safety of Roundup.
The lawsuit charges that:
“Monsanto championed falsified data and has attacked legitimate studies that revealed Roundup’s dangers. Monsanto led a campaign of misinformation to convince government agencies, farmers, and the general population that Roundup is safe.”
The lawsuit also alleges that Monsanto “concealed or systematically sought to discredit” research demonstrating the danger of Roundup and related products containing glyphosate.
Agricultural workers coming down with cancer are joining farmers in the fight too. Similar lawsuits have been filed in California, Delaware, and other states.
Monsanto Supporters Not Sure Glyphosate is Safe
The response from a Monsanto rep to this barrage of lawsuits?
“While we have sympathy for the plaintiffs, the science simply does not support their claims.”
Despite this seemingly unflappable front, cracks are starting to appear in Monsanto’s carefully crafted image. Monsanto’s own sympathizers don’t seem to have much confidence in the safety of its products.
Monsanto Lobbyist Insists You Can Drink Roundup, Then Refuses to Do It
Recall the “it would have been hilarious if it weren’t so sad” debacle on French TV when Monsanto lobbyist, Dr. Patrick Moore, insisted during a live interview that Roundup was so safe that humans could drink it. When challenged to try some, however, the lobbyist repeatedly refused to do so.
Here’s how part of the interview went down:
- Dr. Patrick Moore: “You can drink a whole quart of it [Roundup] and it won’t hurt you.”
- Interviewer: “You want to drink some? We have some [Roundup] here.”
- Dr. Patrick Moore: “I’d be happy to, actually. Not really. But I know it wouldn’t hurt me.”
- Interviewer: “If you say so, I have some.”
- Dr. Patrick Moore: “I’m not stupid!”
Pressed one last time by the intrepid interviewer to drink some Roundup to prove his point, Moore says, “I’m not an idiot” and ends the interview.
While Monsanto scientists and lobbyists may not be stupid, they clearly seem to assume that most farmers and consumers are!
The awawful homeowners association I bought a few condos at in Palm Springs drenched the place in Monsanto poison, my dear dog died from lung cancer one year later. Disgusting.
I have been using the round-up in my yard. I am concerned about this. Please send me more information about this.
Here’s some info on how roundup damages the body slowly over time. https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/roundup-quick-death-for-weeds-slow-and-painful-death-for-you/
I would be thrilled if we could shut down Monsanto. They are evil, I believe because they know the damage their products do and choose to ignore them. Even though it’s a little different subject. I talked to an ex-pharma employee that told me they used to have meetings in the board room where the higher-ups would encourage higher diabetes and flu numbers. How do any of these people sleep at night????
I wish these farmers luck in winning. Beating Monsatan ain’t easy!