A lawsuit has been filed against a major agrochemical company, alleging that their widely-used herbicide product is linked to cancer. The complaint was lodged by Larry Terrebonne in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana on September 27, 2024, targeting Monsanto Company. Terrebonne claims that his exposure to Monsanto's Roundup product resulted in his diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Larry Terrebonne, a resident of Lafitte, Louisiana, asserts that he suffered personal injuries due to prolonged exposure to Roundup, which contains glyphosate as its active ingredient. According to the complaint, Terrebonne was exposed to the herbicide for years in Jefferson Parish and was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2016. The lawsuit accuses Monsanto of negligence and wrongful conduct in the design, development, manufacture, testing, marketing, and sale of Roundup. Terrebonne alleges that the product is defective and dangerous to human health and lacked adequate warnings about its risks.
The complaint details how Monsanto discovered glyphosate's herbicidal properties in 1970 and began marketing it under the brand name Roundup in 1974. By 2013, glyphosate had become the most widely used herbicide globally. However, concerns about its safety have been raised over time. In March 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans," linking it to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma among other cancers. Despite this classification and numerous studies suggesting potential health risks associated with glyphosate exposure, Monsanto has continued to market Roundup as safe for humans and the environment.
Terrebonne's lawsuit argues that Monsanto failed to exercise reasonable care in ensuring their product would not cause harmful side effects. It also accuses Monsanto of engaging in fraudulent misrepresentation by downplaying or concealing information about Roundup's potential dangers from consumers and regulatory agencies. The plaintiff seeks compensatory damages for past and future pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost wages, punitive damages where applicable under law, along with interest and legal costs.
Representing Larry Terrebonne are attorneys from a yet unspecified law firm; however, details such as case number (2:24-cv-02350) indicate proceedings are underway before judges at the Eastern District Court of Louisiana.