A federal jury on Tuesday found that the weed-killer Roundup was “a substantial factor” in causing a 70 year old’s cancer.
Edwin Hardeman was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2015, after using Roundup on his property for more than 20 years. In 2016, he sued Monsanto over a correlation between his use of Roundup and his cancer. Monsanto was subsequently bought by the German pharmaceutical company Bayer.
The jury concluded that Roundup weed killer was a substantial factor in causing Hardeman’s cancer. “Today’s verdict reinforces what another jury found last year, and what scientists with the state of California and the World Health Organization have concluded: Glyphosate causes cancer in people,” a statement from Environmental Working Group president Ken Cook said referring to the active ingredient, glyphosate, in the weedkiller Roundup. “The evidence will grow that Roundup is not safe, and that the company has tried to cover it up.”
The unanimous verdict will likely help to determine hundreds of similar lawsuits against Roundup’s manufacturer. The ruling was the second time a jury found Roundup caused non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Another jury, awarded DeWayne Johnson $289 million for the non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma he developed after using Roundup for years and being exposed to glyphosate. The jurors agreed the product contributed to Johnson’s cancer and the company should have provided a label to warn people that the product is a potential health hazard.
Photo: “DSC_0313” by Global Justice Now is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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