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California Roundup Lawsuit Lawyers Client Focused. Trial Ready. Billions Won.
  • National Reach & Recognition Our team was the only attorneys in America to serve on the trial teams for all three of the first Monsanto Trials
  • Experienced Legal Counsel

    The Wisner Baum attorneys obtained a $2 billion jury verdict in Pilliod et. al v. Monsanto Co., the ninth largest personal injury verdict in U.S. history.

  • Proven Track Record We have helped negotiate $10.9 billion in Monsanto Roundup settlements on behalf of clients nationwide.

Monsanto Roundup Lawsuit

Roundup Lawsuit Update - December 2024 

The attorneys at Wisner Baum are no longer accepting Roundup cases.

Monsanto Roundup (glyphosate) weed killer is listed as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an arm of the World Health Organization (WHO). Thousands of people who used Roundup or other glyphosate-based herbicides and developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma have filed Roundup cancer lawsuits against Monsanto (now Bayer). 

Here is a summary of the Roundup lawsuits, which are ongoing: 

  • Monsanto/Bayer have faced over 165,000 Roundup lawsuits since the start of litigation. 
  • Wisner Baum helped negotiate Roundup settlement agreements worth approximately $11 billion, resolving roughly 60% of cases. 
  • Wisner Baum managing partner R. Brent Wisner was co-lead trial counsel in two of the first three Roundup cancer lawsuits to go before juries. The trials culminated in jury verdicts worth over $2.3 billion.
  • Roundup cancer attorneys obtained more than $4 billion in combined jury verdicts in 2024. 
  • Bayer estimates that there are over 54,000 pending Roundup lawsuits. 

Roundup Settlement Update

Wisner Baum served on the trial teams for the first three Roundup trials. The firm’s managing partner, R. Brent Wisner, served as co-lead counsel in two of the three cases, delivering the opening and closing statements. The trials resulted in a combined $2.424 billion in jury verdicts for the plaintiffs.  

Since this Roundup settlement in 2020, there have not been any additional reported settlements between plaintiffs and Bayer, though that could change. Trials in the Roundup litigation are ongoing.  

ROUNDUP TRIAL VERDICTS

Since 2018, there have been roughly two dozen Roundup trials. The majority of cases have culminated with wins for Bayer/Monsanto. However, plaintiffs have prevailed in at least 10 trials, with jury verdicts in the billions.

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The Only Roundup Cancer Attorneys in America to Serve on the Trial Teams for All Three of the First Monsanto Trials

The first three Roundup cancer lawsuits to proceed to trial resulted in a combined $2.424 billion in jury verdicts. Wisner Baum is the only law firm in the country to serve on the trial teams for all three of the first Monsanto lawsuits to go before juries. In two of those trials, Wisner Baum attorney R. Brent Wisner served as co-lead trial counsel.

Monsanto Hit with Historic $2 Billion Verdict Losing Third Straight Roundup Trial

Wisner Baum and Co-Counsel Defeat Monsanto in First Three Roundup Trials

We and The Miller Firm are the only attorneys in America to successfully defeat Monsanto in multiple trials. Our firm served on the trial teams in Johnson v. Monsanto Co., Hardeman v. Monsanto Co., and Pilliod v. Monsanto Co., which resulted in over $2.4 billion in combined jury verdicts.

Pilliod v. Monsanto Co.

After years of spraying Roundup weed killer, Alva and Alberta Pilliod both developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The California couple filed a Roundup lawsuit alleging design defect and failure to warn against Monsanto. The Miller Firm asked us to partner with them in conducting the trial for the Pilliods. Roundup lawyer R. Brent Wisner served as co-lead trial counsel, with Michael L. Baum and Pedram Esfandiary also serving on the trial team, among others.

On May 13, 2019, the jury awarded Alberta over $37 million in compensatory damages and awarded Alva over $18 million in compensatory damages. The jury also awarded the couple $2 billion in punitive damages. The jury trial was completed over roughly six weeks.

The trial court conditionally denied Monsanto’s motion for a new trial, contingent on the Pilliods accepting reduced compensatory and punitive damages worth $87 million in total. The Pilliods accepted the reduced damages.

Monsanto appealed the decision, but the Court of Appeals upheld the reduced verdict in 2021. The California Supreme Court later denied Monsanto’s request for further review of the Court of Appeals’ decision.

In 2022, Monsanto asked the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) to review the verdict. On June 27, 2022, SCOTUS denied the petition for a writ of certiorari.

“After years of racking up loss after loss in this case, Monsanto can no longer avoid responsibility for the unspeakable harm they have caused Alva and Alberta Pilliod,” said Roundup lawyer R. Brent Wisner. “The high court’s decision is further proof that Monsanto’s only path in this litigation is through the trial courts, which is the way it should be. I am personally looking forward to trying a case against Monsanto this fall in California, my first since the Pilliod trial. Despite Monsanto’s recent victories, I am confident that our team can repeat the success we enjoyed in the first three Roundup trials.”

Hardeman v. Monsanto Co.

Edwin Hardeman filed a Roundup lawsuit alleging the weed killer caused his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma through his attorneys Jennifer Moore and Aimee Wagstaff. His lawsuit against Monsanto was the first federal Roundup cancer lawsuit to proceed to trial before U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria. Attorneys Moore and Wagstaff asked our firm to help them conduct the trial for Mr. Hardeman. Roundup attorneys R. Brent Wisner, Michael L. Baum, and Pedram Esfandiary served on the trial team.

On March 27, 2019, a jury awarded Edwin Hardeman $5,267,634.10 in compensatory damages and $75 million in punitive damages. The district court later reduced the jury's punitive damages award to $20 million.

On May 14, 2021, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district court's judgment in favor of Mr. Hardeman. Months later, Monsanto submitted a petition for a writ of certiorari with SCOTUS. Several amicus briefs were subsequently filed, including one from the Justice Department saying Monsanto’s writ of certiorari should be denied.

On June 22, 2022, SCOTUS denied Monsanto’s petition for a writ of certiorari, allowing Mr. Hardeman’s final judgment of $25.2 million to remain intact.

“The decision is not surprising, but it is welcomed,” said Roundup lawyer R. Brent Wisner. “Monsanto will never get the ‘magic’ preemption bullet it hoped for. This litigation will continue to be fought in the trial courts, in front of juries, like it should be."

Roundup Cancer Link

Brent WisnerRoundup Cancer Attorney

“Monsanto’s history is one full of vast lies. They mislead people, promise that their products are safe and make a lot of money by doing so. And when things get uncomfortable, they simply move on to another product. This strategy has proven successful for over 100 years.” - Brent Wisner

Watch Brent Wisner Interviewed on 60 Minutes Australia

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What is the Roundup Lawsuit About?

Roundup (glyphosate) is a Monsanto herbicide used by farmers, gardeners, maintenance workers, agricultural workers, and many others as an all-purpose weed killer. Since Roundup first entered the market in the 1970s, Monsanto has denied claims that Roundup causes cancer, insisting that Roundup is safe. A Monsanto advertisement once noted that Roundup is “safer than table salt.”

But according to internal Monsanto emails now known throughout the world as The Monsanto Papers, Monsanto has known for several decades that Roundup (glyphosate) causes cancer. Rather than informing consumers about the glyphosate cancer risk, Monsanto buried the risks as sales of Roundup continued to skyrocket.

In March of 2015, IARC surveyed the published research on Roundup cancer links and concluded the blockbuster herbicide is “probably carcinogenic to humans.” The cancer agency further concluded that the cancer most associated with exposure to glyphosate is non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Outraged by Monsanto’s deception, more than 100,000 people have made the decision to file a Roundup lawsuit alleging exposure to Roundup causes cancer.

Our firm represents thousands of people who are pursuing justice against Monsanto (now Bayer) because they do not want what happened to them or a member of their family to happen to anyone else. They want consumers to have the choice— to know the health consequences associated with using a product. If they would have known that Roundup was a carcinogen, they never would have used the product.

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MONSANTO ROUNDUP LAWSUIT UPDATE 2024

The Roundup lawyers at Wisner Baum have not been involved in the Roundup litigation since the $10.9 billion settlement reached in 2020.   

December 3, 2024: Only 18 cases were added to the Monsanto Roundup MDL last month, bringing the case total to 4,373. 

November 1, 2024: There are still thousands of Roundup cases in the MDL. As of today, 4,355 federal cases are pending. 

October 11, 2024: A Philadelphia jury has ordered Bayer to pay $78 million to a Pennsylvania resident who developed cancer after using the company's controversial Roundup herbicide. The verdict, including $3 million in compensatory damages and $75 million in punitive damages, interrupts Bayer's recent courtroom wins in Philadelphia. While the agrochemical company had previously prevailed in 14 of 20 Roundup trials, this latest decision adds to a series of substantial verdicts against the company, including a $1.56 billion judgment from November 2023 (later reduced to $611 million) and a $2.25 billion verdict from January 2024 (subsequently reduced to $400 million). 

October 1, 2024: The total number of cases in the federal Roundup MDL is now 4,349. However, most new Roundup lawsuits are filed in state courts, not the MDL.

September 28, 2024: The Third Circuit Court of Appeals refused to change its decision from last month that federal law overrides a Pennsylvania law requiring cancer warnings on chemicals. 

September 16, 2024: A new Roundup trial, Melissen v. Monsanto, is underway in Philadelphia. The trial is expected to take weeks. We will report on any news once the trial concludes. 

September 12, 2024: The Philadelphia jury in Young v. Monsanto found that Monsanto was not responsible for the plaintiff's cancer. Despite this setback, plaintiffs have won 3 out of 5 Roundup trials in Philadelphia with an average verdict of roughly $194 million.

September 4, 2024: A Missouri appeals court agreed with a lower court's decision in the case of Moore v. Monsanto, which went in the defense’s favor. 

August 23, 2024: Bayer scored a significant win in the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. In a ruling issued last week, the court found that federal pesticide labeling regulations preempt state law. This means that EPA-approved pesticide labels, which do not include a cancer warning for Roundup, override state requirements for labeling.

The ruling stems from a Pennsylvania case that alleged Monsanto/Bayer violated state law by failing to include a cancer warning on the Roundup label. But the 3rd Circuit ruled that federal law for pesticide regulations requires nationwide uniformity.

This decision conflicts with another Appeals Court decision from earlier this year, which found federal law did not preempt state law. Reuters reports that the conflict could lead to the Supreme Court weighing in. 

August 16, 2024: 4,311 Roundup lawsuit cases are still open in the MDL. 

In other Roundup news, the plaintiff in an Oregon case won a critical appeal last month and will get a new trial. The appellant court reversed a judgment that excluded one of the plaintiff’s experts, Dr. Charles Benbrook, from testifying at trial about EPA pesticide regulations. Specifically, Dr. Benbrook was expected to testify about how EPA and IARC reached differing conclusions about the carcinogenicity of glyphosate.

According to the appellant court order, “[w]e conclude that the trial court erred in excluding certain testimony of Dr. Benbrook and that that error was not harmless.”

July 22, 2024: Bayer is lobbying Congress to protect the company from Roundup cancer lawsuits. The new 2024 farm bill, approved by the House Agriculture Committee, contains wording that would shield Bayer from future litigation and limit states from adding pesticide warning labels. Some call this bill a "get out of jail free" card for Bayer, which has lost several court cases this year. According to a report from the Washington Post, Bayer provided input in drafting the proposed legislation. 

July 5, 2024: The plaintiff in a Roundup trial scheduled to begin next week in Philadelphia has voluntarily dismissed the case. The case was filed by a plaintiff whose father died of cancer allegedly caused by Roundup exposure. The trial judge dismissed all but one count alleged in the case, finding that the plaintiff had missed the statute of limitations. With only one viable count, the plaintiff voluntarily dismissed the case but may appeal. 

June 5, 2024: A Pennsylvania judge reduced the jury verdict from a Roundup trial earlier this year to $400 million. In January, a jury found that Roundup weed killer caused plaintiff John McKivison’s non-Hodgkins lymphoma and awarded him $250 million in compensatory damages and $2 billion in punitive damages. However, Judge Susan Schulman reduced the compensatory damages to $50 million and punitive damages to $350 million. Bayer says it will continue to appeal the case. 

June 3, 2024: Only a handful of cases were added to the Roundup MDL since last month, bringing the total cases to 4,285.

April 8, 2024: The Missouri judge overseeing a Roundup case that culminated in a $1.56 billion jury verdict has reduced the verdict to $611 million. The reduced damages award is for three plaintiffs who alleged exposure to Roundup weed killer caused their cancer. 

In November of 2023, a jury in Cole County, Missouri, found Bayer's Monsanto unit liable for negligence and design defects, as well as failing to warn about Roundup's risks. The three plaintiffs, Valorie Gunther, Jimmy Draeger, and Daniel Anderson were awarded $61.1 million in compensatory damages and $1.5 billion in punitive damages, which were to be split equally among them. However, Judge Daniel Green decided to reduce the punitive damages to nine times the amount of compensatory damages ($549.9 million), resulting in a total verdict of $611 million.  

Bayer, which sought to toss the verdict, said it will appeal Judge Green’s ruling. 

April 2, 2024: Since the start of 2024, there have been over 100 cases added to the Roundup MDL, bringing the case total to 4,281. Bayer estimates that there remain roughly 54,000 pending Roundup cancer claims in various courts throughout the country. 

January 26, 2024: A jury in Philadelphia returned a $2.25 billion verdict today in favor of a Pennsylvania man who developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after using Roundup multiple times a year over several years. The verdict, which includes $2 billion in punitive damages and $250 million in compensatory damages, is the latest blow to Bayer, which has lost multiple jury trials over the last several months.

December 29, 2023: Last week, Bayer won at trial in a Roundup lawsuit brought by a California man who alleged he developed cancer after exposure to Roundup weed killer. The defense verdict ended a losing streak for Bayer (formerly Monsanto). Five previous Roundup trials had gone in favor of plaintiffs. 

December 6, 2023: Bayer will pay approximately $3.5 million to a Pennsylvania woman after a jury Philadelphia jury concluded Roundup weedkiller caused her cancer. The trial, which lasted roughly three weeks, culminated in a verdict that included $462,500 in compensatory damages and $3 million in punitive damages. This is the fifth consecutive court loss for Bayer.

November 20, 2023: A Missouri jury delivered a verdict worth $1.5 billion in favor of the plaintiffs in a Roundup trial. This is the second-largest jury verdict in the Roundup litigation (our firm earned a $2.055 billion verdict in 2019). Plaintiffs Dan Anderson, James Draeger, and Valorie Gunther will receive a total of $61.1 million in damages and $500 million each in punitive damages. The plaintiffs allegedly developed NHL after using Roundup. 

October 31, 2023: Another significant Roundup verdict. The jury in the case of Dennis v. Monsanto Co.returned a verdict worth over $330 million, including punitive damages. The trial took place in San Diego, California.

October 27, 2023: The jury in the case of Caranci v. Monsanto Co. delivered a $175 million verdict in favor of the plaintiff, which includes punitive damages. The case, filed on behalf of an 82-year-old man who alleged Roundup caused his NHL, was tried in Philadelphia. 

October 20, 2023: A St. Louis jury returned a verdict in favor of a 67-year-old plaintiff. The jury found that Monsanto/Bayer failed to sufficiently warn about the potential risks associated with Roundup which the plaintiff alleged caused his non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

June 15, 2023:  New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that Monsanto/Bayer will pay a settlementworth nearly $7 million to the state to resolve allegations concerning misleading advertising about the safety of glyphosate weed killers like Roundup. 

May 24, 2023: The case of Gordon v. Monsanto Co. culminated in a jury verdict for Bayer/Monsanto. This is the seventh straight win for the defense. 

December 14, 2022: The case of Langford v. Monsanto Co. et al. (CGC-21-592238), ended in a confidential settlement before trial. Another case that was supposed to proceed to trial in Hawaii (Pied v. MonsantoCo.) has also been settled. 

November 14, 2022: Bayer/Monsanto won another trial, the sixth win in a row. This case, Moore v. Monsanto Co., was tried in St. Louis County Circuit Court. 

More trials are upcoming in the next few months. 

September 2, 2022: A jury in St. Louis returned a verdict in Bayer’s favor in another Roundup trial. This is the fifth consecutive victory for Monsanto/Bayer. 

July 4, 2022: The Ninth Circuit panel unanimously told the EPA to reconsider its conclusion that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup weedkiller, is not an “unreasonable risk to man or the environment.” The court agreed with environmental and food safety advocates that the agency did not fully consider whether Roundup causes cancer. Per the decision, “most studies EPA examined indicated that human exposure to glyphosate is associated with an at least somewhat increased risk of developing NHL,” which contradicts EPA’s conclusion that glyphosate is “not likely to cause cancer.”

June 27, 2022: The Supreme Court denied Bayer’s petition for a writ of certiorari in Pilliod et al. v. Monsanto Co. The Pilliods will retain the $87 million reduced verdict. 

June 21, 2022: The Supreme Court denied Bayer’s petition for a writ of certiorari in the case of Hardeman v. Monsanto Co., allowing the final judgment of $25.2 million to remain intact.

June 11, 2022: The jury in Shelton v. Monsanto Co. returned a verdict for the defense. 

June 2, 2022: Former Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant gave testimony during the trial of Shelton v. Monsanto Co. Grant said Monsanto did not conduct their own tests to evaluate whether there was a connection between Roundup and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

December 13, 2021: Bayer won another Roundup trial. The case of Stephens v. Monsanto Co., which was conducted over Zoom, culminated in a jury verdict for the defense. Per the verdict, the plaintiff’s use of Roundup was not the cause of her cancer.

November 18, 2021: Bayer won its first trial in California regarding Roundup. The case alleged a child's rare form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was caused by his mother's use of the herbicide in her garden. The jury determined that the child's exposure to Roundup was not a significant factor in his cancer. (2023 Update: Bayer reached a confidential Roundup settlement with the plaintiff in this case).

May 14, 2021: The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco denied Bayer’s appeal in Hardeman v. Monsanto Co.

What type of cancer in roundup lawsuits?

Roundup cancer lawsuits have been filed for plaintiffs who developed: 

  • B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma
  • T cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma 
  • Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL)
  • Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
  • Small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL)
  • Follicular lymphoma
  • Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL)
  • Hairy cell leukemia (HCL)
  • Burkitt lymphoma
  • Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome)
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Monsanto Lawsuit FAQS

Have questions? We are here to help. Give us a call at 855-948-5098 today!

  • If I File a Roundup Lawsuit, Am I Joining a Monsanto Class Action?

    No, the individual Roundup lawsuits over the link to non-Hodgkin lymphoma are not part of a Monsanto class action. The individual Roundup cancer lawsuits seek remedy for injuries (non-Hodgkin lymphoma) sustained as a result of being exposed to Roundup and its active ingredient, glyphosate.

    Roundup class actions against Monsanto are related to allegations of false and misleading information on the Roundup label and don’t involve personal injury or wrongful death claims. According to the class actions, Monsanto continues to mislead consumers by representing glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, as targeting an enzyme that is “found in plants but not in people or pets.”

    The Monsanto class actions (filed in multiple states) allege that the enzyme glyphosate targets exist in people and pets. Per the class actions:

    “Glyphosate functions as a biocide by inhibiting the enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate (“EPSP”) synthase, disrupting the fifth of six enzymatic steps in the shikimate pathway, which processes aromatic amino acids in certain organisms. Although humans and other mammals themselves do not have a shikimate pathway, the shikimate pathway is present in bacteria, including beneficial bacteria that inhabit the mammalian gut and are essential to overall health. EPSP is therefore “found in . . . people [and] pets. Just like it inhibits EPSP synthase in weeds, the active ingredient in Roundup inhibits EPSP synthase in these human and pet gut bacteria, and just like it targets weeds, the active ingredient in Roundup targets the human and pet gut bacteria.”

  • What is the Difference Between an Individual Roundup Lawsuit and the Roundup Class Action?

    Individual lawsuits against Monsanto seek remedy for personal injuries (non-Hodgkin lymphoma) sustained as a result of exposure to Roundup. Farmers, farm workers, horticulturalists, landscapers, gardeners, government employees, and a host of other people have filed individual lawsuits against Monsanto based on allegations that Monsanto knew about the link between exposure to Roundup and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but failed to warn consumers.

    The Monsanto Roundup class action, on the other hand, involves consumers who say they would never have purchased Roundup products had they known that glyphosate targets an enzyme that exists in the human body and the bodies of certain mammals, contrary to Monsanto’s marketing.

    Anyone who purchased certain Roundup products and are not participating in a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit can participate in the Monsanto class action over the misbranding of Roundup. Claimants are not required to prove that they suffered personal injuries as a result of using the product, only that they purchased the product.

    Wisner Baumare not only amazing attorneys, but more importantly they are activists. They are about changing the systems which got us into trouble in the first place. They understand their role in the process of making change. Attorneys have the fortunate ability to go into the company files during the investigative process. They see the companies’ behaviors and work hard at getting confidential documents declassified that have true public health benefit. — Kim Witczak.

    Read more from our clients

  • Does Roundup Cause Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma?

    Yes. According to numerous studies, exposure to Roundup increases the risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Below are some of the studies demonstrating the link between Roundup exposure and NHL:

  • How Does Glyphosate Cause Cancer?

    Studies show that exposure to Roundup and its active ingredient, glyphosate, can cause DNA damage and DNA strand breaks, an important precursor to cancer. IARC specifically assessed the genotoxicity of Roundup (the property of chemical agents that damages the genetic information within a cell causing mutations, which may lead to cancer) and concluded that “[t]here is strong evidence that glyphosate causes genotoxicity.”

    Roundup exposure can also induce oxidative stress, which is thought to be involved in the development of numerous conditions, including cancer, autism, and Parkinson’s disease. In addition to DNA damage and oxidative stress, some scientists have suggested Roundup exposure can lead to a chronic inflammatory state in the gut, as well an impaired gut barrier, which can increase the risk of cancer.