Madison County resident Stephen Doerr is suing Monsanto Company, Springfield Farm Supply Co., Inc., and Alton Farm & Home Supply Co.
According to the official court filing, Monsanto discovered the herbicidal properties of glyphosate and began marketing it in products in 1974 under the brand name Roundup. Said product is a non-selective herbicide used to kill weeds that typically compete with other crops.
However, on July 29, 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as a Group 2A herbicide, which means that it is potentially carcinogenic to humans.
Regardless, Monsanto has continued to present Roundup as safe to both humans and the environment.
The filing alleges that Monsanto either knew or should’ve known that Roundup products were inherently dangerous and unsafe but chose to promote and sell them anyway.
Doerr allegedly suffered and will continue to suffer physical pain and discomfort in relation to his Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, which he claims was directly caused by Monsanto’s products.
Monsanto is being sued on three counts: two counts of strict liability and one count of negligence. Springfield Farm Supply and Alton Farm & Home Supply Co., who are accused of directly or indirectly distributing and selling Roundup products, are also being sued for one count of negligence each.
Doerr is seeking financial damages greater than or equal to $25,000 per count in addition to other rewards that the court deems just.
This article was first published in Madison Record.
