The laws surrounding the area of product liability are extensive. Manufacturers who release defective products for purchase and use by the public can be held liable for damages that their products cause to consumers. Determining liability is fairly clear-cut when the product is an exploding battery or a defective piece of heavy machinery. However, what happens when the product is a chemical used by farmers every day? Who is at fault when that chemical happens to contain cancer-causing agents that caused serious illness and even death?
The Case Of Roundup
Roundup, a popular weed-killer used by people trying to maintain a nice green lawn and people trying to make a living feeding the people of the United States, contains a compound known as glyphosate—a compound people have been blaming for the rise in cancer cases among farmers for decades. According to a report by Bloomberg, a U.S. District Court judge recently decided that the evidence of glyphosate’s carcinogenic nature was sufficient to allow several witnesses to bear testimony against Monsanto, a manufacturer of the product.
Agricultural Workers Are Not The Only Ones Affected
In 2017, concerns about glyphosate making its way into the food supply of the United States sparked an effort by the Food and Drug Administration to engage in testing for traces of the chemical in products sold in U.S. markets. Although the EPA has established “safe levels” of glyphosate on crops ranging from soybeans to corn—crops used every day to create popular American processed snacks and foods—the safety of Roundup and other products containing glyphosate has again come into question.
The Possible Impact Of Herbicides And Pesticides On Human Life
Glyphosate is being blamed for the rise in cases of cancer, specifically non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, among agricultural workers. Roundup and other herbicidal or pesticide products depend on chemically interfering with the growth of weeds or the nervous systems of insects or other pests that may otherwise eat farmers’ crops (or private gardens). However, when these products affect not only weeds and bugs but turn out to have an impact on human health, product liability law may come into play.
Are Dangerous Chemicals Considered Defective Products?
When a chemical is deemed safe to sell to people and be used by them—but then turns out to cause grave harm or illness to those people—it may be considered a defective product under laws pertaining to product liability. Pain and suffering due to dangerous chemicals can be evaluated by both medical professionals and a product liability attorney in California if you suspect you have been harmed due to Roundup or other herbicidal chemicals.
There Is Help Out There If Your Life Has Been Impacted By A Dangerous Product
Roundup is far from the only product still on the market to cause injury or illness. If you need a product liability attorney in California, contact the experienced lawyers at Licata & Yeremenko, A Professional Law Corporation for a free consultation. The staff at Licata & Yeremenko, A Professional Law Corporation have the experience and legal know-how to take on your case and get you the financial compensation you deserve.