Thousands of glyphosate lawsuits have been filed in the aftermath of the landmark $289 million verdict delivered by a San Francisco jury in August of 2018. This surge in litigation came after the first Roundup cancer lawsuit at trial ended with the jury finding that Roundup’s glyphosate caused the eventual diagnosis of a school groundskeeper’s terminal non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
While much of the legal analysis has centered on future glyphosate verdicts, and rightly so, some advocacy groups overseas are looking into whether these findings could renew a legal battle with Monsanto over Agent Orange.
What Is Agent Orange?
Agent Orange is an informal name related to a dioxin-containing herbicide that was sprayed by the millions of gallons during the Vietnam War. This chemical was used to defoliate the jungle and bolster war efforts, but the herbicide has caused significant health problems for millions of individuals who were exposed to the spray.
For example, the U.S. government has indicated that veterans exposed to Agent Orange have suffered from higher cases of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia and other cancers. Vietnamese sources have reported similar findings, claiming that more than three million Vietnamese people have suffered the following ailments:
- Neurological damage
- Reproductive health issues
- Various forms of cancer
What Does Agent Orange Have to Do With Monsanto Litigation?
Simply put, Monsanto was a key supplier of Agent Orange to the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. For this reason, a class action lawsuit was filed against the suppliers of Agent Orange in 2004. The lawsuit, which was filed by the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA), named Monsanto.
Importantly, the lawsuit was rejected multiple times by U.S. courts that stated no legal precedent for the lawsuit existed since Monsanto and the other named companies acted on U.S. government orders. Further, the courts stated at the time that Agent Orange could not be properly linked to cancer and other negative health effects based on the available evidence.
Since then, however, more studies released by both the U.S. and Vietnamese governments have increasingly shown Agent Orange is linked to causing several harmful diseases. Now, VAVA and similar organizations are closely watching the Roundup litigation that has placed a renewed spotlight on lawsuits involving harms from pesticides, herbicides and similar chemicals.
It remains to be seen what will come of any future Agent Orange litigation, which could come well over a decade after U.S. courts last rejected Agent Orange class action filings. What is clear, however, is that thousands of Roundup lawsuits over glyphosate will continue to pose an issue for Bayer AG and Monsanto after Bayer recently acquired the company for more than $63 billion.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma or another type of cancer after long-term use of chemical products that contained glyphosate, talk to a personal injury lawyer at The Ledger Law Firm to discuss your legal claim.
Contact us online for a free case evaluation with a Roundup cancer attorney at The Ledger Law Firm.
