Roundup Cancer Lawyer in Houston, TX
If you have been exposed to the weed killer Roundup, and you have developed cancer, including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, or some other illness, you are not alone. At the Fitts Law Firm, we understand that this product is dangerous and causes serious medical conditions, including cancer. We also believe that you are entitled to compensation for your medical costs, pain and suffering, and other losses.
Verdicts have already been obtained holding Roundup responsible for causing cancer. Those verdicts totaled $289 million in one case, and $2 billion in another. While the amounts were reduced by the judges in both cases (to $78 million and $86.7 million), the awards demonstrate that there is ample evidence that Roundup is carcinogenic and causes cancer in humans. Evidence also points to Roundup as the source of other illnesses.
What is Roundup?
Roundup, developed and manufactured by Monsanto in 1970, is the most widely used pesticide (weed killer) in the world. It is common for Roundup to be sprayed on crops, and the use of the product has grown over the years, partly due to the development of crops that have been genetically modified to resist the chemicals in Roundup. These are known as “Roundup Ready” crops. But the product is used in numerous environments, including:
- Large agricultural farms.
- Home gardens.
- For landscaping in commercial and residential settings.
The primary ingredient in Roundup is glyphosate, which recent studies have shown to increase the risk of blood cancer, known as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and other illnesses as well.
Anyone can be exposed to and affected by Roundup. You need not be in the agricultural industry. The most common longer term exposure stems of repeated exposure to the chemical while it is being sprayed or after it has been sprayed. The material exists in play areas, on lawns, and in other places. It is tracked into homes on shoes, and on the wheels of strollers and luggage. It can be found in food, in soil, in the air, or almost anywhere.
Roundup, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Other Diseases
While early studies found that there was little or no danger associated with exposure to glyphosate, evidence has since surfaced, through the discovery of internal emails and memos, that the studies have been manipulated in an attempt to whitewash the dangers and conceal the risks of exposure to the chemical.
There is a growing body of evidence that those persons who have regularly been exposed to Roundup have an increased risk of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This is a cancer that begins in your lymphatic system (the system that fights disease) and leads to cancerous tumors that can occur anywhere in your body.
Agencies and other findings that have concluded there is a relationship between glyphosate exposure and blood cancers and other illnesses. Those agencies include:
- World Health Organization. The WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified glyphosate as probably carcinogenic to humans.
- California Environmental Protection Agency. The California EPA Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has listed glyphosate as causing cancer.
- S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Its draft report, issued in April 2019, confirms an increased cancer risk associated with exposure to glyphosate.
- Environmental Sciences Europe. In January 2019, an analysis by ESE states that the United States EPA’s failure to classify glyphosate as carcinogenic ignored a substantial body of scientific evidence to the contrary.
Other studies in Sweden and in Canada also found a link between Roundup exposure and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Finally, a study was just released by researchers from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, the University of Washington and the University of California at Berkeley. The study focused on those people with the highest exposure to Roundup’s main component, glyphosate, and the primary conclusion was that those people have over a 40% increased risk of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The study also reveals that Roundup exposure increases risks in other areas. The overall risks include:
- Hormone Disruption.
- Birth Defects.
- Toxicity to the Nervous System.
- Increased Resistance to Antibiotics.
The study also notes that children and fetus are vulnerable to the effects of pesticide exposure because of their developing organ systems, closer proximity to the ground, and hand-to-mouth behavior.
These studies, as well as the verdicts in Roundup cases, represent a significant and growing body of evidence linking the pesticide to a variety of illnesses.
Houston Roundup Lawsuit Attorney
If you or your child has experienced symptoms of any of the above illnesses, or if you or a family member has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and you suspect exposure to Roundup, contact the Fitts Law Firm. We are experienced Houston personal injury attorneys who will examine the facts and provide you with a confidential, honest evaluation of your case and a projected strategy for moving forward. Call us to schedule a free, no obligation consultation.
