A new lawsuit has been filed against a major agrochemical company, alleging that their widely-used herbicide product is linked to cancer. Michelle Stokes, a resident of Louisiana, filed the complaint on September 27, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Monsanto Company. The case revolves around claims that Monsanto's product Roundup®, which contains glyphosate as its active ingredient, is responsible for her development of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Michelle Stokes asserts that her prolonged exposure to Roundup® led to her cancer diagnosis in 2024. According to the complaint, Stokes used Roundup® regularly and followed all safety precautions but was unaware of its potential health risks due to alleged insufficient warnings by Monsanto. The lawsuit accuses Monsanto of negligence and wrongful conduct in the design, manufacture, and promotion of Roundup®. It further claims that Monsanto knew or should have known about the carcinogenic properties of glyphosate but failed to adequately warn consumers or update their product labels accordingly.
The complaint references several studies and reports that highlight the potential dangers associated with glyphosate. Notably, it mentions a 2015 evaluation by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans." Despite these findings, Monsanto has continued to market Roundup® as safe for human use. The lawsuit alleges that Monsanto engaged in fraudulent practices by misrepresenting scientific data and suppressing information about the risks associated with their product.
Stokes is seeking compensatory damages for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other related costs resulting from her illness. She also demands punitive damages due to what she describes as Monsanto's reckless disregard for consumer safety. The legal action calls for a jury trial and emphasizes various counts against Monsanto under state laws including negligence, breach of duty under the Louisiana Products Liability Act (LPLA), manufacturing defects, inadequate warning labels, non-conformity to express warranty, fraud, misrepresentation, and suppression.
Representing Michelle Stokes are attorneys from law firms specializing in such cases. The case has been assigned Case ID 2:24-cv-02355.