Winning Means More When It Means Something
Working on mass torts, class actions and other types of strenuous litigation usually involves long nights and mental fortitude. In the heat of battle, we sometimes forget the impact our work has on real people’s lives. Recently, our office received a touching letter from one of our clients who was a victim of Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide.
In the letter, she thanks attorney Rand Nolen and our paralegal staff for being able to win a settlement for her family. Our client was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma after 35 years of continuous use of the Roundup product.
For those who don’t know, Monsanto Roundup (glyphosate) weed killer has been designated as a possible carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an arm of the World Health Organization (WHO). Farmers, landscapers, gardeners, and others who use Roundup weed killer or other glyphosate-based herbicides are at risk for developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other forms of cancer.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer that starts in white blood cells called lymphocytes, which are part of the body’s immune system. Like most cancers, treatment involves rounds of chemotherapy or radiation therapy, and could even include a bone marrow transplant.
Every year during the spring and summer, our client would use Roundup on her yard, sidewalks and garden, not knowing that she was exposing herself to a possible carcinogen. Eventually she started to developed rashes on her hands and arms. Ultimately after multiple health signs, a doctor diagnosed her with cancer.
Winning for our clients means more than just winning them money. It means giving them the resources to get the necessary care they or their loved one needs. It means potentially getting more precious moments with family members.
