A new lawsuit has been filed alleging that a widely-used herbicide is responsible for causing cancer in a Louisiana resident. Clinton Richmond, the plaintiff, filed the complaint against Monsanto Company in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana on August 1, 2024.
The case revolves around Richmond's exposure to Monsanto's Roundup product, which contains glyphosate as its active ingredient. According to the complaint, Richmond was exposed to Roundup starting in approximately 1985 and continued to use it for decades. He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2023, which he attributes directly to his prolonged exposure to the herbicide. The lawsuit claims that Roundup is "defective, dangerous to human health, unfit and unsuitable to be marketed and sold in commerce," and lacked proper warnings about its dangers.
Monsanto is accused of multiple acts of negligence including designing, manufacturing, testing, marketing, and selling Roundup without adequately warning users of its potential risks. The complaint states that Monsanto knew or should have known about the carcinogenic properties of glyphosate but failed to inform consumers and regulatory bodies appropriately. The plaintiff cites various studies and evaluations from international agencies like the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans" in 2015.
Richmond's lawsuit also highlights Monsanto's alleged history of scientific fraud and misinformation campaigns aimed at downplaying the risks associated with glyphosate. For instance, it mentions incidents where laboratories hired by Monsanto were found guilty of falsifying data regarding glyphosate’s safety. Furthermore, it accuses Monsanto of ghostwriting scientific papers and colluding with regulatory agencies to suppress evidence that could harm its market position.
The plaintiff seeks compensatory damages for medical expenses, pain and suffering, diminished quality of life, and other related costs. Additionally, he demands punitive damages due to what he describes as Monsanto’s willful disregard for public safety. Richmond has requested a jury trial for all issues contained within his complaint.
Representing Clinton Richmond are attorneys whose names were not specified in the document provided. The case has been assigned Case No: 2:24-cv-01915 and will be presided over by judges from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.