Roundup weed killer class action: Devastating blow for cancer victims as court hands down landmark ruling
A landmark lawsuit against a widely used garden weed killer has found in federal court that there is no link between the drug and cancer.
The groundbreaking lawsuit was filed by more than 800 people who claimed that the herbicide Roundup and its main ingredient, glyphosate, are carcinogenic to humans and can cause non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Judge Michael Lee ruled that, on the balance of probabilities, there was no evidence that glyphosate, an ingredient in Roundup, is carcinogenic.
The civil class action sought to demonstrate that the manufacturer, Monsanto, and its Australian division, Huntsman Chemical Company, had been negligent with respect to the risks posed by their products.
Lead plaintiff, Kelvin McNickle, worked for his family’s vegetation management company for 20 years.
The court was told that Mr McNickle was allegedly exposed to two of Monsanto’s Roundup products, which later led to a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Judge Lee said he had heard evidence from Mr McNickle that droplets seeped through his clothing and onto his skin when he used the product.
During its use, mist spread everywhere, which Mr. McNickle inhaled.
A class action lawsuit was filed against the manufacturer of the widely used weed killer Roundup (pictured) seeking to prove that the company had been negligent regarding the risk it posed to users
Maurice Blackburn led the major class action on behalf of 800 people who claimed they had significant exposure to Roundup.
A spokesman for the major damages law firm told NewsWire it would “carefully review the ruling.”
Judge Lee’s decision follows similar cases heard in the United States.
In 2020, Bayer, Monsanto’s parent company, settled nearly 100,000 lawsuits, costing the global pharmaceutical giant AU$16.5 billion.
Roundup is still sold in Australia.