What Is The Average Payout For A Roundup Lawsuit? (2024)

Roundup, a common herbicide used by both the general public and commercial growers, has been under scrutiny for many decades for harm caused to the environment and users’ health. Developed by Monsanto and acquired by Bayer in 2018, Roundup has been linked to serious illnesses, including several types of cancer and neurological disorders.

In the last several years, many efforts have been made by the public to draw attention to the regulation of Roundup. Victims have also sought compensation for the medical conditions suffered as a result of its use.

Has Anyone Received Money From the Roundup Lawsuit?

Yes, many individuals have received compensation from Roundup lawsuit settlements. The Roundup settlement checks issued so far have totaled billions of dollars, and over 100,000 people have received compensation. These amounts have been reached through a combination of jury verdicts, negotiated agreements, and court-mediated resolutions.

The process of receiving money from Roundup lawsuit settlements typically involves several stages, including the filing of a claim, presentation of evidence, negotiation with Bayer AG's legal representatives, and final approval by the court overseeing the case.

What Is the Average Payout for a Roundup Lawsuit?

Calculating the Roundup lawsuit settlement amounts per person is complicated due to a few factors. First, if you join a class action lawsuit, the individuals in the class will not divide the class settlement equally. For example, if you have a class of 100 people that wins $100 million, each person will not receive $1 million.

Instead, those funds will be divided according to each person’s losses. The family of someone who died might receive more than someone whose cancer responded to chemotherapy.

Second, many of those who received a Bayer Roundup settlement had to agree to keep the terms confidential. Companies involved in mass torts do this to prevent lawyers from answering the question, “What is the average payout for a Roundup lawsuit?” Bayer hopes the uncertainty will cause injured victims and lawyers to hesitate in filing a claim.

Third, Bayer deliberately followed a strategy of fighting only its strongest cases. This resulted in wins for Bayer in nine out of 18 trials. If you average the amounts paid, you end up with a lot of zeros when you account for the risk of losing.

Roundup Lawsuit Settlement Amounts per Person

With these caveats in mind, you can look at the “global” settlement and several individual damage awards to understand the possible outcomes of your Roundup case.

There is a wide range regarding the Roundup lawsuit settlement amounts. Some individuals (including the very first individual to sue Monsanto) were awarded settlements in the millions, while others received a few thousand dollars for their illnesses. To date, over 100,000 Roundup cases have been resolved with over 4,000 pending.

The first case alleging Roundup-related injuries happened in California. A school groundskeeper who came into regular contact with Roundup developed terminal non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In 2018, a jury awarded him $39 million in compensatory damages and $250 million in punitive damages for a total award of $289 million.

This loss by Monsanto, purchased by Bayer that same year, foreshadowed two more losses in California courts. Alva and Alberta Pilliod alleged that they both developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma due to their application of Roundup regularly on three properties they owned. In 2019, a jury awarded them over $2 billion, although the judge in the case reduced the damage award to $87 million.

In a separate California case that year, a jury awarded a property owner over $80 million, although the award was reduced to $20 million by the trial court to avoid Constitutional issues. The victim had developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after using Roundup on his property for over 20 years.

The plaintiffs then hit a dry spell for about four years. To avoid these eye-popping headlines, Bayer only went to trial in cases it thought it could win. The result was eight consecutive wins between 2021 and 2023. Many of these cases involved questionable links between the victims’ illnesses and Roundup.

Global Class Action Settlement

Bayer’s winning streak was somewhat deceptive. While Bayer was winning these cases, it simultaneously offered a “global settlement” to end 100,000 claims in a class action lawsuit against it. The $10.9 billion Roundup class action settlement included $9.6 billion to resolve the pending cases and $1.25 billion to deal with future cases.

The settlement gave an average of $96,000 per plaintiff in the pending cases. However, Bayer set up a complex point system to allocate these funds based on several factors, including:

• Victim’s age

• Cancer type

• Treatment outcome

• Earning capacity

Victims in the lower tier might only receive a few thousand dollars, while victims in a higher tier might receive a few hundred thousand dollars.

Recent Successes

Victims do not need to accept the global settlement. Those who think they can get more can still pursue individual lawsuits. As of 2024, the company still has about 4,000 unresolved Roundup lawsuits pending.

Since 2023, Roundup victims have won six out of seven trial verdicts. This happened for two possible reasons. First, Bayer might have run out of weaker cases to take to trial. As a result, it is trying and losing stronger cases.

Second, victims might feel emboldened by the class action settlement. Bayer settled its class action lawsuit because it knew it could get hit with a big damage settlement. Individual plaintiffs are making the same calculation when they bypass the certainty of the global settlement.

How Much Will I Get From My Roundup Settlement?

The amount of your settlement depends on the losses you suffered. It also depends on the route you take to get there.

If you take the class action settlement, your settlement will be calculated using a table of factors that places you into a settlement tier. The top tier receives a few hundred thousand dollars.

If you file a lawsuit, you stand to recover much more, possibly tens or hundreds of millions of dollars. But you could also lose your lawsuit and recover nothing.

When Will Roundup Settlements Be Paid?

You can apply for your class settlement now. If you file an individual lawsuit seeking more, you could face years of litigation before your case settles.

Roundup Lawsuit Eligibility & Requirements

Anyone who has developed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or other types of cancer believed to be caused by exposure to Roundup is eligible to file a Roundup lawsuit. This includes individuals who have used Roundup in their professional or personal capacity, including:

• Farmworkers

• Farmers

• Landscapers

• Groundskeepers

• Gardeners

• Garden center workers

• Homeowners

Moreover, the family members of victims, particularly those who have lost a loved one due to diseases associated with Roundup exposure, can file a lawsuit on behalf of the deceased.

Get a Free Roundup Case Review Today

ConsumerShield provides transparent and concrete assistance to people who have suffered cancer due to Roundup. We help you understand where you stand and connect you to a lawyer if you choose to pursue a legal claim. Fill out our contact form for a free case evaluation and to learn how we can help you.