Monsanto Faces First Roundup Lawsuit in Australia

Monsanto Faces First Roundup Lawsuit in Australia

Introduction

Micheal Ogalirolo, an Australian gardener, has sued Monsanto over alleged harm caused by its weed killer Roundup. This case is considered to be the first lawsuit filed against Monsanto in Australia.

Plaintiff Ogalirolo used glyphosate for nearly 20 years, first while working at Jim’s Mowing franchise and later in his own landscaping business. He was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2011 and retired in 2015 due to his poor health. The plaintiff complaint stated that Roundup products were dangerous, causing chromosomal damage, nerve damage, infertility, cancer, kidney disease, and other illnesses. Though the plaintiff’s lymphoma is in remission, but the disease continues to cast a shadow over his life.

Bayer AG overtook Monsanto last June for $63 billion and is currently defending 14,000 Roundup cancer lawsuits. In a Roundup trial concluded last month a California jury awarded $2 billion to an elderly couple with NHL disease. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria is presiding overall the federal multidistrict litigation (MDL No. 2741; In Re: Roundup Products Liability Litigation) in the Northern District of California.