Families in Ladera Ranch and across South Orange County are demanding answers after multiple children in the community were reportedly diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare, aggressive childhood cancer. Testimonials from other community members have revealed that many others are affected by various blood cancers in the Ladera Ranch and surrounding areas. County officials, state lawmakers, and federal authorities have all called for an investigation into what may be causing the reported cases.
Wisner Baum is investigating potential claims on behalf of affected families and has been retained by a Ladera Ranch family to help find the answers they deserve. Our attorneys are examining whether environmental exposures may have played a role in these childhood cancers. If your child lived in or regularly spent time in Ladera Ranch or neighboring South Orange County communities and was later diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma or another blood cancer, you may have legal options.
Call (310) 207-3233 or contact us today for a free, confidential case evaluation.
On July 21, 2026, roughly 400 residents packed a community meeting before the Ladera Ranch Civic Council to demand answers about the reported cancer cases. Wisner Baum trial attorney and partner Monique Alarcon was also in attendance.
In the days since, the response has escalated across every level of state government:
Health officials have cautioned that no cancer cluster has been officially confirmed and that the cause of the reported cases has not been determined. The investigations now underway are intended to answer those exact questions.
According to county officials and news reports, at least six children in Ladera Ranch — an unincorporated community of about 26,000 residents — have been reported diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma in recent years. Some community members say the number of rare cancer cases connected to the area, going back roughly two decades, may be higher.
Because Ewing sarcoma is so rare, families and officials have questioned whether something in the local environment could be contributing to the reported cases.
Ewing sarcoma is a rare cancer that forms in the bones or in the soft tissue around them. It most often affects children, teenagers, and young adults. According to the American Cancer Society, only about 200 to 250 young people are diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma in the United States each year. This is why multiple reported cases in a single community have drawn national attention.
Not at this time. Wisner Baum’s toxic tort attorneys are investigating whether environmental exposures may be connected to the rare childhood cancers reported in South Orange County. Our investigation is examining possible exposures, including:
Our role is to investigate the facts thoroughly, help preserve evidence, and determine whether any party can be held accountable.
While Ladera Ranch is at the center of these concerns, Wisner Baum is also investigating potential claims involving children who lived in or regularly spent time in adjacent communities across South Orange County, including:
While we are in the early stages of investigating this serious issue in the South Orange County area, you may want to speak with our attorneys if:
Even if you are unsure whether you qualify, we encourage you to reach out. Case reviews are always free and confidential.
It is too early to know whether these cases will result in lawsuits or what any claim might be worth. If our investigation identifies a responsible party, families who pursue claims may be able to seek compensation for medical expenses, related out-of-pocket costs, pain and suffering, and other losses.
Wisner Baum is a national plaintiffs’ trial firm with a long record in toxic exposure and environmental litigation. Since 1985, the firm has earned more than $4 billion in verdicts and settlements, represented more than 20,000 clients, and tried hundreds of cases in court.
The firm’s trial lawyers are known for taking on powerful corporations in complex toxic tort cases. In 2018, a California jury returned a verdict of $289 million in the first Roundup cancer trial against Monsanto, and in 2019, a jury ordered Monsanto to pay $2.055 billion to Alva and Alberta Pilliod. In both cases, Wisner Baum managing partner R. Brent Wisner served as co-lead trial counsel. Both verdicts were later reduced to $20.5 million and $87 million, respectively.
Wisner Baum handles these cases on a contingency-fee basis: if we do not win your case, you do not owe us anything.
If you or a family member was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma or another blood cancer after living in or spending time in Ladera Ranch or another South Orange County community, contact Wisner Baum today. We understand what your family is going through — and we are ready to fight to hold accountable anyone whose actions may have caused harm.
Call (310) 207-3233 or complete our confidential online form for a free case evaluation.
"Wisner Baum gave exceptional attention to all aspects of the case, detailed inquiry, and tenacious overview of all the information submitted. The paralegals are efficient and diligent. I was completely surprised to find an empathic personal message to take care of my own health during the challenging time of being a full-time caretaker.*"
In May of 2019, the jury in the case of Pilliod et al. v, Monsanto Company ordered the agrochemical giant to pay $2.055 billion in damages to the plaintiffs, Alva and Alberta Pilliod, a Bay Area couple in their 70s. R. Brent Wisner served as co-lead trial attorney for the Pilliods, delivering the opening and closing statements and cross-examining several of Monsanto’s experts. Wisner Baum managing shareholder, Michael Baum and attorney Pedram Esfandiary also served on the trial team in the Pilliod case.
The judge later reduced their award to $87M. Monsanto appealed the Pilliod’s verdict which the California Court of Appeal for the First Appellate District denied on August 9, 2021. Monsanto then requested the California Supreme Court review the appeal’s court decision, which the court denied on Nov. 17, 2021. Monsanto (Bayer) then submitted a petition for a writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court which SCOTUS denied on June 27, 2022, allowing the final judgment of $87M to remain intact.
$289.2 million jury verdict in Monsanto Roundup trial
Wisner Baum co-represented Dewayne “Lee” Johnson in the first Roundup cancer lawsuit to proceed to trial. On Aug. 10, 2018, a San Francisco jury ordered Monsanto to pay $39.25 million in compensatory damages and $250 million in punitive damages to Mr. Johnson, a former groundskeeper who alleged exposure to Monsanto’s herbicides caused him to develop terminal non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Months after the jury verdict, the judge overseeing the trial reduced the punitive damages to $39.25 million. Mr. Johnson decided to accept the remittitur, bringing the adjusted amount awarded to Mr. Johnson $78.5 million.
Monsanto (Bayer) appealed the verdict and Johnson cross appealed. On July 20, 2020, the First Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the verdict against Monsanto but reduced Mr. Johnson’s award to $20.5 million. The company chose not to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, ending the litigation.
In 2016, Wisner Baum attorney Timothy A. Loranger and six other attorneys in the Plaintiffs’ Management Committee were able to secure a $265 million settlement for victims of the 2015 Amtrak 188 derailment in Philadelphia, one of the largest in the U.S. for 2016.
The investigation focuses on Ewing sarcoma and other blood cancers reported among individuals connected to Ladera Ranch and surrounding South Orange County communities.
No. While Ladera Ranch is the focus of current concern, we are investigating potential cancer claims across South Orange County, including the communities listed above.
Nothing. Case evaluations are free and confidential, and Wisner Baum works on a contingency-fee basis — you owe no fees unless we win your case.
