Bayer’s weedkiller brand Roundup is facing the prospect of further lawsuits, this time from Down Under, as Australian firms consider potential cases against the manufacturer.
LHD Lawyers and Maurice Blackburn Lawyers are investigating potential lawsuits against the German pharmaceutical company Bayer, following inquiries from concerned citizens.
Monsanto (now Bayer), the creator of Roundup, is facing claims the company failed to warn users that extended exposure to the weedkiller has been linked to certain forms of cancer.
“Our firm has had more than a hundred inquiries since late 2018 with respect to potential Roundup exposure, including cancer cases. At this stage we are investigating a handful of individual cases as test cases, and are gathering expert evidence for those claims,” Jonathan Walsh, principal at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, told Inside FMCG.
The latest move comes after a couple were awarded over US$2 billion in the US. The jury agreed that Roundup had caused cancer, resulting in the third and largest verdict against the company.
LHD Lawyers special counsel Michael Hyland told the Sydney Morning Herald that his firm was “most interested” in progressing its investigations into the potential class action in Australia.
The Victorian Government and several local councils in Sydney are also reviewing the use of Roundup in their operations.
