Plaintiffs Unsatisfied With Bayer Monsanto Weedkiller Settlements

August 11, 2020 | Attorney, Matthew Dolman
Plaintiffs Unsatisfied With Bayer Monsanto Weedkiller Settlements

$160,000 Average Roundup Cancer Lawsuit Settlements Anger Plaintiffs

The major international pharmaceutical company, Bayer, has reached a new point of progress in the long process of dealing with thousands of personal injury lawsuits against the agrichemical company they acquired known as Monsanto. Their weed killer products like Roundup have been found to significantly increase the chance of developing deadly cancer among those that regularly are exposed to it through use leading to many to seek restitution in the form of class-action lawsuits. These lawsuits have now reached the point where Bayer is ready to close on settlements negotiated with the several law firms representing the thousands of affected plaintiffs for around $10 billion 

Plaintiff Dissatisfaction With Roundup Lawsuit Settlements

The process of filing a lawsuit is already time and resource-consuming in regular cases but with the massive high-profile class-action lawsuits against the multinational pharmaceutical juggernaut, Bayer, the process can be all the more difficult. Plaintiffs seeking money for damages caused by Monsanto weedkillers were happy to hear that progress was made in settling with Bayer but were dismayed upon finding out that the amount of compensation that they may receive could end up being significantly less than what they would need to cover the damages that they have suffered.  Plaintiffs have spoken anonymously about the deal and their dissatisfaction. Some have specified that the settlement deal with Bayer requires a decision within a few weeks despite the fact that they will not know exactly how much money they will receive individually. The settlement deal also prohibits the sharing of details on the deal otherwise reprisals will be carried out in the form of sanctions. 

Bayer Settlement Deal and Plaintiff Payment

The plaintiffs of these class-action lawsuits against Bayer reportedly will receive compensation by around February of next year should they decide to agree to the proposed settlement deal. However, payment of all of the plaintiffs may take over a year to complete. The deal is actually not uniform for every plaintiff since different groups of plaintiffs are represented by different firms that have each had their own negotiations with Bayer.   Even the better deals that plaintiffs have had their firms negotiate have been generally considered unsatisfactory. Plaintiffs have reported only being able to get an estimated $160,000 on average from the proposed settlement deal. One must also note that this is not even taking into account the deduction of the lawyer's contingent fee

Law Firms Make Millions While Plaintiffs Receive Little

Personal injury attorneys will typically work on a contingency fee basis which means that they take their fee out of the money that they are able to get their clients through a settlement or a case award. If they fail to get their client any compensation then their client does not have any obligation to pay them since they failed. Personal injury attorneys will generally have a contingency fee of about 33% but it can range anywhere from 30-40% depending on the case and attorney.  Many of the plaintiffs that have filed lawsuits against Bayer over cancer caused by Roundup weedkiller will have to deal with about a third of their settlement being taken by the law firm representing them. Each plaintiff will be getting much less than what they want while the firm representing numerous of these plaintiffs in a class action will be taking their contingent fee from all of them and accumulating more money than any of the clients they are representing. 

How Bayer Weed killer Lawsuit Plaintiffs Are Getting Small Settlements

The various plaintiffs that have filed lawsuits against Bayer may have an impending deal that can finally get them a settlement but this deal comes with the condition that each plaintiff have their individual case scored by a third-party administrator, the scoring of plaintiffs will involve criteria that may include the type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma cancer each plaintiff developed; the plaintiff's age when they were diagnosed, the severity of the plaintiff's or affected person's cancer, the extent of treatment they have had for their cancer, and the amount of exposure they had to Monsanto weed killers. 

Weedkiller Lawsuit Plaintiffs and Declining of This Deal

A lot of plaintiffs that have heard about these recent developments have naturally thought about declining this deal. It is very normal for several deals to be proposed before a settlement may be reached but in these cases, time is often of the essence for plaintiffs who have sunk significant time and resources into their lawsuits. Declining this deal in hopes of negotiating a better one or simply to try again with a better attorney comes with some risks.  One of the most glaring risks is the looming threat of Bayer filing for bankruptcy which would make seeking compensation from them significantly more difficult. There is also the issue of the current Covid-19 crisis and its halting effect on the court system prolonging these expensive lawsuits even more.  Many who have filed lawsuits against Bayer over Roundup weedkiller have likely heard of the success of the initial lawsuits against the company where plaintiffs managed to attain millions in court awards. This success has drawn out a large number of firms that are willing to take on large groups of clients that they will then settle on behalf of with Bayer without putting up much of a fight. These firms still get paid for each client they get a less than satisfying settlement for and the plaintiff is stuck with a settlement that may not even fully cover their damages like medical bills or disability. 

Contact a Florida Roundup Lawsuit Attorney

If you or a loved one have developed cancer and you believe its cause is linked to Monsanto or Roundup products, do not hesitate to contact Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA about a free consultation on your claim. Our skilled lawyers have the expertise you will need to secure the settlement that you deserve. Dolman Law has years of experience when it comes to handling product liability claims and ensuring that our clients receive the compensation that they need in order to pay off their medical expenses, lost wages, etc. When you enlist the assistance of Dolman Law you are ensuring that your case gets the small firm attention it deserves with big firm results. Contact us at Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA's main office. Please fill out our online contact form or call us at 727-451-6900. Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA 800 North Belcher Road Clearwater, FL 33765 727-451-6900  

 

Matthew Dolman

Personal Injury Lawyer

This article was written and reviewed by Matthew Dolman. Matt has been a practicing civil trial, personal injury, products liability, and mass tort lawyer since 2004. He has successfully fought for more than 11,000 injured clients and acted as lead counsel in more than 1,000 lawsuits. Always on the cutting edge of personal injury law, Matt is actively engaged in complex legal matters, including Suboxone, AFFF, and Ozempic lawsuits.  Matt is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum for resolving individual cases in excess of $1 million and $2 million, respectively. He has also been selected by his colleagues as a Florida Superlawyer and as a member of Florida’s Legal Elite on multiple occasions. Further, Matt has been quoted in the media numerous times and is a sought-after speaker on a variety of legal issues and topics.

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