It has been close to a year since news first broke about a possible settlement in the RoundUp class-action lawsuit. All this time has gone by but not much has happened in the case. Our class action coalition lawyers are constantly checking for updates on the case and related cases. Finally, there was news this week notifying people that Bayer had won in the 4th Monsanto trial. The news also stated that this would not affect the potential multi-million-dollar settlement.
As far as the possible settlement is concerned, there is still no update on what the status is for the 25,000 plaintiffs who opted out of the settlement. In a class-action lawsuit, individual plaintiffs do not have the option of pushing their individual case toward trial or a settlement. it is based on what the class chooses to do. If you have any questions about your case or want to see if you can join the class, call our office as soon as possible.
Bayer Wins for First Time in 4th RoundUp Trial
Throughout the last several years, thousands of people who had been exposed to RoundUp’s weedkiller reported being diagnosed with cancer. After the FDA confirmed that the product may contain a cancer-causing agent, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Bayer, the company that now owns the manufacturer of RoundUp.
In order to recover damages, the plaintiffs must prove that RoundUp was negligent or that they intentionally deceived their customers by failing to disclose that their product was dangerous. Up until now, everything seemed to be going in the plaintiffs’ direction. The first trial resulted in a very large settlement for a landscaper in California. Two successive cases were also decided in favor of the plaintiff. All that changed this past month when Monsanto successfully defended itself at trial.
Many looked at this as a bad sign. If juries were going to rule in favor with the defendant, even once, would it dissuade Bayer from settling the case? Experts advise that this verdict may have been less determinative than they may have thought. While the plaintiff in this 4th trial was a woman, she had actually filed suit on behalf of her child. She argued that somehow her being exposed to RoundUp translated into her child developing a non-Hodgkins type lymphoma.
The court found that there was not enough evidence to tie her child’s illness to the use of RoundUp’s weedkiller. What this means is that the odds of the defendant winning the next trial are no better than they were a month ago. The 5th trial is underway in California’s San Bernadino County Circuit Court in a couple of weeks.
Bayer in Hot Water With Pension Fund Because of Class Action
When Bayer bought Monsanto, it was right at the beginning of the class action. They knew then that a class action had been filed against Monsanto, the manufacturers of RoundUp. However, they lied when their stockholders asked if the purchase of Monsanto was putting the company at risk.
The stakeholders allege that they were told their money was not at risk despite the fact that Bayer knew they would likely have to pay out a multi-million-dollar settlement. They trusted that Bayer and their executives were going to do their due diligence and check out the potential losses before things got out of control. Unfortunately, Bayer lied about the potential risk with the Monsanto lawsuit and now their shareholders want to know how they intend to fix it.
Call and Speak with One of Our Experienced Class Action Lawyer
When the FDA announced that one of the most popular weedkillers used in the U.S. was making people sick, a lot of people were shocked. RoundUP had been on the market for what seemed like forever. Now that the class action lawsuit is progressing, victims and plaintiffs are calling to speak with our class action coalition lawyers all the time. They want to know when they’ll hear any updates for their particular case. Sadly, nobody can really answer that question.
The class is still open so if you believe you were hurt after taking RoundUp, you can certainly call our office immediately. We’ll get you in the office and sit down with you to answer any questions you may have. These cases can become quite complex. Rather than try to handle this on your own, call our office and speak to one of the attorneys on our class action coalition. You can schedule your free, initial consultation.
