- What Harm Can Exposure to Glyphosate Cause?
- How Do You File a Lawsuit Against Monsanto?
- Why Do People Still Use Glyphosate?
- Who is at the Highest Risk of Danger?
- Hire an Experienced Product Liability Lawyer
Many studies have connected glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, to health problems in humans and animals. The herbicide attacks an enzyme only found in plants to prevent them from producing protein. This process kills the plant.
For decades, scientists believed that this process meant glyphosate posed no risk to human health. However, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) first listed glyphosate as a carcinogen in 1985, eleven years after Roundup hit the market. The agency reversed course six years later due to a lack of evidence for cancer in humans.
If you have developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma or another disease after using glyphosate, contact a product liability attorney to discuss your situation. The legal team with Nessler & Associates has extensive experience with product liability cases. We will fight for your right to fair compensation.
What Harm Can Exposure to Glyphosate Cause?
Researchers have linked glyphosate exposure to several types of cancer, organ damage, and reproductive and developmental issues. It can enter your body through ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact.
Forms of Cancer
In March 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen. The World Health Organization agency based the classification on limited human evidence and sufficient experimental animal evidence. The studies they consulted showed damage to animal health at relatively small doses.
The cancer most commonly associated with Roundup is non-Hodgkin lymphoma NHL. This cancer causes abnormal growth of white blood cells and the development of tumors. It also weakens your immune system, making it difficult to fight infections. Doctors can usually treat NHL.
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) occurs more often among professional chemical applicators working with glyphosate. AML affects the bone marrow, causing the growth of abnormal blood cells. It can affect white and red cells, in addition to platelets. This cancer can crowd out healthy blood cells and weaken the immune system or cause anemia.
Some studies have linked glyphosate to breast cancer, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, kidney cancer, and pancreatic cancer. Researchers do not yet understand how the chemical causes cancer but have found many correlations between glyphosate use and specific diseases.
Types of Organ Damage
Exposure to Roundup can damage your organs. It can cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which can lead to liver failure. It can damage the nervous system, leading to numbness, pins and needles sensations, weakness, pain, and loss of balance. It can affect the function of the thyroid, kidneys, pancreas, and heart.
Some researchers believe glyphosate plays a part in celiac disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, and other degenerative diseases. It has been linked to some inflammatory conditions, which increase the risk of developing one of these illnesses. Some studies link glyphosate exposure to depression, obesity, colitis, and irritable bowel disease.
Scientists believe that glyphosate might interfere with the body’s ability to synthesize vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to brittle bones and a higher incidence of fractures. Glyphosate can also worsen osteoarthritis.
Reproductive and Developmental Issues
Glyphosate might be an endocrine disruptor, which can have a detrimental effect on reproduction and cause abnormal fetal development. Studies have shown that glyphosate can cross the human placenta and enter the baby’s bloodstream. It can also harm sperm motility rates.
It can also disrupt women’s normal reproductive hormones. This disruption can make getting pregnant more difficult. This effect can also influence the development and progression of breast cancer.
The Roundup lawsuit attorneys with Nessler & Associates understand the damage glyphosate can cause. We can help you hold Monsanto responsible for not providing an adequate warning of the dangers of using its product.
How Do You File a Lawsuit Against Monsanto?
The first lawsuit against Monsanto was filed in January 2016. The plaintiff claimed that glyphosate caused his non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Since then, more than 125,000 lawsuits have been filed, with the company settling more than 107,000.
In that first case, the jury awarded the plaintiff approximately $289 million. Through multiple appeals, Monsanto got that figure lowered to $20.5 million. Many trials have gone through the same process, although Monsanto has won several, as well.
Adhering to the following advice can enhance the likelihood of winning your claim.
Gather Your Documentation
You need to show that you used Roundup over a significant period of time and that you became sick after exposure. Receipts for glyphosate-containing products will help prove exposure.
You also need your medical records that show your diagnosis and prognosis. The diagnosis should have been linked to glyphosate exposure, such as NHL or AML.
Hire a Product Liability Attorney
You need an attorney who understands product liability law. A lawyer with Nessler & Associates can examine your documentation during a free consultation and advise you of the best course of action.
You might qualify for compensation from the $11 billion that Bayer, Monsanto’s parent company, has set aside for settlements. If not, you can join a class action lawsuit with people who have claims similar to yours or file an individual claim. The company will decide how to handle your case on two factors. These factors consist of the facts and how they compare to the cases that precede yours.
Work With Your Attorney
Your attorney might need more documentation from your medical team or financial records. They might also require you to give a deposition. We keep the lines of communication open throughout the entire process.
The product liability team with Nessler & Associates can help you decide to apply for compensation from the settlement fund or file a separate lawsuit. We will work with you and your medical team to get the documents needed to win your claim.
Why Do People Still Use Glyphosate?
Glyphosate offers superior weed knockdown and is a safer alternative than most synthetic herbicides. Farmers use most glyphosate to increase crop yields.
It is the Safest Synthetic Herbicide Available
Agricultural workers are routinely exposed to many dangerous chemicals. Glyphosate is the safest, most effective broad-spectrum herbicide available. For instance, glufosinate, a glyphosate alternative, has been rated more dangerous than glyphosate.
The EPA gives a safe tolerance for glyphosate exposure at 2 milligrams per kilogram per day. Their tolerance for glufosinate is 0.006 milligrams per kilogram per day.
Bayer has announced that it will no longer use glyphosate in consumer products. The company cites the risk of lawsuits from home gardeners, who comprise more than 90% of plaintiffs. Bayer will still sell Roundup products to farmers.
Farmers Use it With Genetically Modified Crops
Companies released genetically modified crops in the 1990s that resist glyphosate. This resistance allows farmers to use glyphosate on their fields to control weeds and increase yields. These crops include soybeans, corn, sugar beets, alfalfa, canola and cotton.
Glyphosate provides enough advantages for some people to risk using it, despite a lack of consensus on its safety from scientific and regulatory bodies. It is the second most common herbicide used by home gardeners.
Who is at the Highest Risk of Danger?
Some people are at higher risk of damage from Roundup exposure. These include agricultural workers, those who work with plants, and people living near fields where crops grow.
Agricultural Workers
Some agricultural workers face higher levels of exposure than others. These consist of herbicide applicators and those who pick fruits and vegetables by hand.
Gardeners, Landscapers, and Groundskeepers
People who maintain lawns and gardens might face increased exposure to glyphosate. Professional landscapers, lawn maintenance employees, and people who work for their city or county parks department might use it in the course of their jobs. People who take pride in their lawns and gardens might use it at home.
People Living Near Crop Fields
People in rural areas might get exposed to glyphosate through chemical drift when the wind blows the product away from the field. Residents near these fields might inhale glyphosate or absorb it through their skin from contact with the dirt. Some studies have found higher rates of reproductive and developmental issues in people living near these fields.
Those Who Live With Someone at Risk
Glyphosate can be absorbed through the skin. This trait means coming into contact with contaminated clothes or shoes could expose you to glyphosate. You should consider using gloves to handle contaminated clothing and leave the shoes in a designated area.
If you have been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin T-cell or B-cell lymphoma, a personal injury lawyer from Nessler & Associates can help you get the compensation you deserve.
Hire an Experienced Product Liability Lawyer
The law firm of Nessler & Associates knows that powerful companies can influence regulatory agencies in the United States. Let us help you hold Monsanto accountable for your illness or your loved one’s wrongful death.
Nessler & Associates has represented victims of corporate greed since 1977. Our attorneys have more than 100 years of combined experience, which we will use to fight for a fair settlement. Contact us at (800) 727-8010 to schedule a free case review.
