A man who was a school groundskeeper has won a case against agricultural giant Monsanto. The verdict against Monsanto awarded the man $289 million dollars. It comes late, however, as the former school groundskeeper is approaching death as a result of nonHodgkin’s lymphoma.
While this is an older news story, it’s important for those who continue to sue the company for their terminal illnesses. This man sued Monsanto after discovering that a rash he’d developed was actually a symptom of nonHodgkin’s lymphoma. During the trial, the jury determined that the weed killer, Roundup, which is produced by Monsanto, was a product that was dangerous to the public. It believed that the company had not warned the public about the risk of developing cancer.
This is not the first case that has been brought against Monsanto for a similar problem. This man is terminally ill, and so are several others who are filing lawsuits for similar illnesses. This lawsuit may be an example of what is to come for the company in the future.
What is interesting about this case is that the man is only 42 years old and is one of hundreds of cancer patients who are filing lawsuits. The jury had access to internal documents from Monsanto proving that the company knew that Roundup could cause cancer. The company had previously denied that glyphosate-based herbicides could cause cancer.
If you are hurt by a chemical such as Roundup, know that you have rights. Using these chemicals at work could result in a workplace accident claim or a claim for illnesses developed due to work along with a lawsuit against the company if it knew about the risks and failed to warn the public.