Children Among Those Suing Bayer Over Roundup Injuries

Adults aren’t the only ones who claim to have been harmed by Bayer’s Roundup weed killer. Several parents also believe that their children have received devastating cancer diagnoses after being exposed to the pesticide. This tends to support the argument that Roundup, and its active ingredient glyphosate, is incredibly toxic.

Kids Say They Have Cancer After Playing in the Yard

Kids are always encouraged to go outside and play. That’s exactly what Jake Bellah did. He spent his childhood years playing in the yard near his family’s garden. That same garden was sprayed with Roundup weed killer on a regular basis. Now, at the age of 12, Jake has been diagnosed with and received chemotherapy to treat B-Cell lymphoma.

Fortunately, he’s currently in remission. However, that doesn’t take away the pain and suffering he’s had to endure at such a young age. As with all cancers, there’s always the chance his lymphoma will return. He’s one of the many kids who’s decided to sue Monsanto – now Bayer – for not warning him and his parents about the risks of Roundup.

Juries Have Already Awarded Adults Hundreds of Millions in Damages

Three Roundup lawsuits – involving four plaintiffs – have already gone to trial in California. Each of these cases involved adults who claimed to get cancer after being exposed to Roundup for decades. Juries awarded each of the plaintiffs tens of millions of dollars.

• Dewayne Johnson was awarded $289 million in compensatory and punitive damages. Johnson was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma after working with Roundup for decades as a school groundskeeper.
• Edwin Hardeman was awarded $80 million in damages, both compensatory and punitive, because Monsanto didn’t warn him about the risks of Roundup.
• Alva and Alberta Pilliod were each awarded $1 Billion in punitive damages because they were both diagnosed with cancer after using Roundup for decades. The jury believed that Monsanto not only knew about the risks of glyphosate, but intentionally misled the Pilliods about the safety of Roundup.

All of the punitive awards in these have been reduced on appeal because they were “excessive” under the current standards. However, judges have emphasized that Monsanto’s conduct is reprehensible and that punitive damages are appropriate.

These staggering awards are just for cases that involve adults. There’s no telling what might be appropriate when kids step foot in court and point the finger at the pesticide giant.

Cancer May Not Be the Only Grounds for a Roundup Lawsuit

Many children and their families are suing Bayer because of a cancer diagnosis. However, cancer might not be the only reason kids begin to take action. Studies suggest that exposure to Roundup can cause a host of health issues, including asthma, autoimmune diseases, and even autism.

Studies also reveal that we’re increasingly exposed to glyphosate, even if we don’t know it. Glyphosate has been discovered in drinking water and several crops, even those not directly sprayed with the pesticide. Foods that kids eat on a regular basis are contaminated with glyphosate. This includes oatmeal, pasta, cereals, pizza, crackers, and even cookies.

Exposure to glyphosate in any capacity can have devastating consequences. If it’s in the foods kids are eating, the number of children who develop glyphosate-related health issues will likely continue to rise. Lawsuits aimed at Bayer in the future may begin to reflect this.