California Restricts Roundup Sales
Now, retailers in the Golden State cannot sell Monsanto’s popular weed killer without warning future buyers that this potentially dangerous product may cause cancer.
In January 2017, Superior Court Judge Kristi Culver Kapetan heard arguments from both sides regarding glyphosate, an odorless and colorless substance that is Roundup’s main ingredient. The prestigious International Agency for Research on Cancer recently added glyphostate to a list of cancer-causing chemicals, prompting state officials to order a warning label. Monsanto insists that the chemical is safe, pointing to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finding that glyphostate is a “low toxicity” chemical; however, the EPA does advise people to stay away from fields sprayed with Roundup for at least twelve hours.
Roundup is sold in more than 160 countries and used on over 250 varieties of crops and grasses.
Is Glyphosate a Dangerous Product?
Some researchers believe that there is a direct connection between this chemical and certain kinds of cancer, most notably NHL (non-Hodgkin lymphoma). Since glyphostate is chemically similar to the now-banned Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), it has also been linked to numerous chronic disorders, including:
- Autism,
- Depression,
- Parkinson’s disease, and
- ALS.
DDT is widely known for its residual effect. It stays on whatever is sprayed and almost never washes off, which is one of the reasons that the U.S. government outlawed the substance.
Other studies have compared glyphostate to estradiol, which is a powerful estrogen and one of the most dangerous products in the world in terms of ist carcinogenic potential. In fact, exposure to only a few parts per trillion is enough to cause disease.
So, glyphostate basically has a one-two dangerous product punch: It remains on crops as people eat them and is incredibly carcinogenic even in rather small doses.
Dangerous Products
Manufacturers have a legal duty to sell products that are both effective and safe. Many times, in their zeal to build a better mousetrap, and thus make more money, they emphasize the former and neglect the latter. In other words, many manufacturers will sell the most effective weed killer, toilet bowl cleaner, or sink-clog remover without paying too much attention to its possible effects on the people that use it.
Victims of dangerous products are usualy entitled to significant damgages, including both compensatory and punitive damages. Two of the most common legal thories are:
- Design Defect: Sometime, a manufacturer ignores a known risk about a certain product. This theory is very common when it comes to chemical and healthcare products.
- Manufacturing Defect: Bounce houses, cars, and other manufactured products are highlysusceptible to manufacturing defects. Basically, an error occurs on the assembly line or elsewhere during production or shipping that creates a significnat danger.
Some plaintiffs must prove that the manufacturer neglected a reasonable alternative design.
Dangerous products are everywhere. For a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Bowling Green, contact Attorney Gary S. Logsdon. Our firm has a small-town atmosphere and access to nationwide resources.