A new lawsuit has been filed against a major agrochemical company, alleging that its popular herbicide caused the death of a Louisiana woman. Elaine Van Hoven, the plaintiff, filed the complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana on September 17, 2024, against Monsanto Company.
Elaine Van Hoven is suing Monsanto on behalf of her deceased sister, Carmel Simpson. According to the complaint, Simpson's prolonged exposure to Monsanto's Roundup product led to her diagnosis and subsequent death from Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in October 2023. The lawsuit claims that Roundup, which contains glyphosate as its active ingredient, is defective and dangerous to human health. Van Hoven argues that Monsanto failed to provide adequate warnings about these risks despite being aware of them for decades.
The case outlines numerous allegations against Monsanto. It states that since discovering glyphosate's herbicidal properties in 1970 and introducing Roundup in 1974, Monsanto has misrepresented the product as safe for humans and the environment. The complaint references various studies and evaluations, including those by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans" in 2015. Despite this classification and other evidence suggesting a link between glyphosate exposure and cancer, Monsanto allegedly continued to market Roundup without proper warnings.
Van Hoven's lawsuit accuses Monsanto of negligence, fraudulent misrepresentation, and violations under several laws including the Louisiana Products Liability Act (LPLA). The complaint details how Monsanto purportedly engaged in scientific fraud by commissioning studies that downplayed or concealed the risks associated with glyphosate. Additionally, it alleges that Monsanto influenced regulatory agencies like the EPA through secret meetings and misleading data submissions.
The plaintiff seeks compensatory damages for economic losses such as medical expenses incurred during Simpson’s illness and non-economic damages for pain and suffering endured by both Simpson before her death and Van Hoven due to her sister’s loss. The lawsuit also demands punitive damages aimed at punishing Monsanto for its alleged misconduct and deterring similar future actions.
Representing Elaine Van Hoven are attorneys from law firms specializing in product liability cases. The case has been assigned Case No: 2:24-cv-02272.