Roundup Weed Killer Lawsuit: What You Need to Know in 2026

What Is the Roundup Lawsuit?

The Roundup lawsuit is one of the largest mass tort litigations in American history. Tens of thousands of plaintiffs have filed claims against Bayer AG (which acquired Monsanto in 2018) alleging that long-term exposure to Roundup weed killer caused them to develop Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) and other serious cancers. The central claim is that Monsanto knew about the carcinogenic risks of its active ingredient, glyphosate, but failed to warn consumers.

In 2015, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as 'probably carcinogenic to humans' (Group 2A). This classification, along with internal Monsanto documents revealed through litigation, became the evidentiary foundation for thousands of lawsuits claiming that the company concealed the dangers of its best-selling herbicide.

How Did the Roundup Litigation Begin?

The first Roundup trial took place in 2018. Plaintiff Dewayne Johnson, a school groundskeeper who had used Roundup extensively and later developed terminal non-Hodgkin lymphoma, was awarded $289 million by a California jury. The verdict was later reduced on appeal, but it opened the floodgates for thousands of additional claims.

By 2020, Bayer had agreed to pay approximately $10.9 billion to settle the vast majority of roughly 125,000 pending claims. The settlement did not include an admission of wrongdoing, but it represented one of the largest product liability settlements in U.S. history. Despite the settlement, new cases have continued to be filed, and Bayer faces ongoing litigation over claims that were not included in the original settlement classes.

A key legal development came in 2022 when a Missouri Supreme Court affirmed a verdict in favor of three plaintiffs. In 2023, a Philadelphia jury awarded $175 million to a plaintiff who developed NHL after using Roundup on his Pennsylvania property. These continued verdicts have kept pressure on Bayer to resolve remaining claims.

What Is Glyphosate and Why Is It Dangerous?

Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide that kills most plants by blocking a specific enzyme pathway essential to plant growth. It is the active ingredient in Roundup and dozens of other herbicide products. First introduced by Monsanto in 1974, it became the world's most widely used herbicide, with billions of pounds applied globally each year.

The debate over glyphosate's carcinogenicity has divided regulatory agencies. While the IARC classified it as a probable human carcinogen in 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has maintained that glyphosate is 'not likely to be carcinogenic to humans' when used as directed. However, courts have repeatedly allowed plaintiffs' experts to testify that glyphosate causes NHL, and juries have sided with plaintiffs in numerous high-profile trials.

Internal Monsanto emails and documents, dubbed 'Monsanto Papers,' revealed through litigation have been particularly damaging. These documents suggest the company worked to influence scientific research and regulatory reviews, and in some cases allegedly ghostwrote scientific studies to support glyphosate's safety while suppressing contradictory findings.

Who Qualifies for the Roundup Lawsuit?

To potentially qualify for a Roundup lawsuit, you generally must meet the following criteria:

• Roundup exposure: You regularly used or were exposed to Roundup or other glyphosate-based herbicides, typically for at least two years
• Occupational or residential use: Exposure most commonly occurred during farming, landscaping, groundskeeping, gardening, or other regular herbicide application
• Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma diagnosis: You were diagnosed with NHL or a related blood cancer such as B-cell lymphoma, T-cell lymphoma, or diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
• Causal connection: Your attorney must establish that your Roundup exposure preceded and likely contributed to your cancer diagnosis
• Statute of limitations: You must file within your state's applicable deadline, which varies but is typically two to three years from diagnosis or discovery

If you are unsure whether your specific cancer type or exposure history qualifies, a free case review with an attorney in our network can help you determine your eligibility.

The $10.9 Billion Settlement and What Comes Next

In June 2020, Bayer announced a landmark settlement of approximately $10.9 billion to resolve the majority of its Roundup litigation. The settlement covered approximately 125,000 of the roughly 125,000 pending claims at the time. Individual payouts varied based on the severity of the diagnosis, duration of exposure, and other case-specific factors, with many claimants receiving settlements in the range of $5,000 to $250,000 or more.

However, the litigation is far from over. Thousands of new claims have been filed since the 2020 settlement, and Bayer has faced ongoing verdicts. In 2023 alone, multiple juries awarded substantial verdicts against the company. Bayer has set aside additional funds for future claims but continues to dispute liability and appeal unfavorable verdicts.

Importantly, Bayer reached a separate settlement in 2021 related to future claimants — those who had not yet been diagnosed with NHL but had significant Roundup exposure. This settlement created a research program and compensation fund for future claims, though it was not approved by the courts as originally proposed.

How to File a Roundup Lawsuit

The process of filing a Roundup claim begins with a free case evaluation. An attorney will review your exposure history, medical records, and cancer diagnosis to determine whether you meet the threshold criteria for filing. If you qualify, the attorney will typically work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless you recover compensation.

After engaging an attorney, your legal team will gather evidence including purchase records, employment records showing pesticide use, medical records documenting your NHL diagnosis, and any other documentation of glyphosate exposure. Expert witnesses, including oncologists and toxicologists, may be retained to establish the causal connection between Roundup exposure and your cancer.

Most Roundup cases are filed as individual claims rather than as part of a class action, because individual damages in mass tort cases can vary significantly. Cases may be filed in federal or state court, and many are consolidated in multidistrict litigation (MDL) for coordinated pretrial proceedings. If your case does not settle during the MDL process, it may be remanded to your home district for trial.

Frequently Asked Questions