Just the Facts: Roundup Weedkiller Cancer Lawsuits
In past years, maybe you saw Roundup Weedkiller commercials. You probably remember the individuals in the commercials spraying the weed killer and dispatching weeds that threatened their lawns and gardens. The commercials made the product look simple and effective.
There is no denying Roundup killed weeds, but there was a real drawback that only became apparent years later. Roundup Weedkiller contains cancer-causing carcinogens, and many individuals developed health problems after using it. Many developed various cancers, and some even died.
Others still suffer to this day if they used Roundup. Maybe you’re among them. Let’s discuss what you can do if you used Roundup and have now received a cancer diagnosis.
How Can You Tell Whether Roundup Gave You Cancer?
It’s not always easy proving cause and effect in personal injury lawsuits. You might have someone who contracts cancer, and they feel a particular product caused it. Their lawyer may feel the same way, and that’s why they’re representing this individual.
Just because you used a certain product and contracted cancer, though, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you can link the two things. You might have the manufacturer arguing that in court.
With Roundup Weedkiller, scientists and doctors determined that the formula did indeed include cancer-causing agents. The manufacturer would not include those ingredients if they knew about it. Presumably, they tested the product before they released it years ago.
However, with some products, the manufacturer does not know the product contains cancer-causing ingredients or that you can develop cancer over time if you use it. That’s what happened with Roundup. Some of those who used it a lot eventually developed cancer, and that’s why doctors and scientists studied it more thoroughly.
At this point, the medical and scientific community accepts that Roundup can cause cancer, especially if you used it a lot. That’s why you can join a class action lawsuit if you have cancer, and it’s one of the ones that Roundup causes.
You Must Prove You Used Roundup
If you want to get money through a class action lawsuit, you must probably prove that you used Roundup. You might have cancer, and maybe it’s the kind that Roundup often gives you, but perhaps you developed it for some other reason.
You can always develop cancer, and maybe no specific thing gave it to you. Perhaps you had a genetic proclivity, and that’s why you have it. That’s something that Roundup’s parent company will likely argue in court.
If you can establish that you used Roundup a lot over the years, though, that makes it more likely you’ll collect money when a class action suit concludes. Say, for instance, that you worked for a school district and you tended the lawns and athletic fields. Maybe you used Roundup every day for years.
If you can establish that or prove it, and now you have cancer, it’s not likely the company can deny your claim. If you spent years around Roundup, and you breathed it in, there’s a link that any jury can see. There’s too much anecdotal evidence from studies that a reasonable person can’t ignore.
What is a Class Action Lawsuit?
You should also know about the term “class action lawsuit” before you try to get money for using Roundup. A class action lawsuit means a suit that several people file together against a company or individual. In this case, you’re targeting the company that made Roundup.
You can have your lawyer if you like, but you’re signing on with the other plaintiffs. As someone who contracted cancer, you’re a plaintiff, just like all the other victims. This term means someone in a lawsuit that an entity or person harmed.
The company that made Roundup has the designation of the defendant. That’s because they’re defending themselves against the claim you’re making that they harmed you and the others who now have cancer.
What Will Happen?
In this case, you will probably see some money sooner rather than later. The company that made Roundup has fought the claim that their product caused cancer, but there’s clear evidence that suggests that’s exactly what happened.
It’s unfortunate, but these situations occur sometimes. Products come out, and the testing that the company did before that product hit the market proves insufficient. Someone, or many people, in this case, suffered serious harm because of the ingredient that caused cancer to grow inside them.
Must You Join a Class Action Lawsuit?
You needn’t join a class action lawsuit if you don’t want to. Your lawyer can file a separate claim against the parent company that made Roundup.
However, it’s probably best for simplicity’s sake that you join a class action lawsuit. This way, you probably won’t make as many court appearances. You likely won’t spend time on the witness stand testifying because overwhelming evidence already exists. You can just await a verdict.
Once that verdict comes in, you can take the money and use it however you like. You should know, though, that you’re facing a deadline. You can only sue the parent company for a certain designated period. After that, you’ve passed the deadline, and the statute of limitations kicks in.
Hire a Good Lawyer
You can hire a skilled lawyer who knows about personal injury lawsuits. They should have an excellent track record. If they do, you know they’ve handled these cases before, and they understand what steps to take in the courtroom and outside of it.
You can collect millions in some instances with these cancer cases. Cancer can destroy your life, so you deserve that money. You always need a competent lawyer, though.
If you know someone who used an attorney for a personal injury case in the past, you might ask whether they liked that lawyer and firm. If they say yes, you can contact and hire them. If you don’t know any personal injury lawyers yet, you can always hunt around online and find one with positive reviews.
