Manufacturers, sellers, distributors, suppliers, and others in the chain of consumer product distribution have a duty to ensure products they place in the hands of consumers are safe and free of dangerous hazards that could cause harm. If they don't, and the product causes injury to someone, they could be liable under what's commonly referred to as product liability.

Roundup in the media

Product liability applies to all consumer products, like appliances, toys, cereal, and consumers goods. It also applies to dangerous chemicals like Roundup, a herbicide used by many working in the lawn, landscaping, and farming industries.

Many people have pursued action and won against the manufacturer of Roundup after proving that continuous exposure of the chemical caused cancer and other hazardous conditions. However, cases do not end after a jury verdict; companies appeal verdicts every day for various reasons to get them overturned. And Bayer, the owner of Roundup, is no exception.

Petitioning The U.S. Supreme Court

Bayer AG, a German manufacturer of agricultural products, recently filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court asking the court to review errors in a Roundup case that resulted in a successful verdict for a victim of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cancer. The DOJ, or Department Of Justice, has asked that the court deny the petition.

Roundup – why the controversy?

Roundup is a Monsanto brand of herbicides. The product is controversial for its alleged risk of carcinogenicity, or cancer.

Pesticide agencies and scientists claim that the regular use of glyphosate does not contribute to the development of cancer in humans. However, opponents of Roundup claims evidence says otherwise and that many people exposed to the herbicide, particularly agricultural workers, are at a heightened risk of developing cancer.

Workers frequently in contact with the product who have developed cancer and other health condition have filed numerous lawsuits against Bayer and other companies – and won. One case, however, remains in limbo as the U.S. Supreme Court weighs in on whether to approve or deny the petition to review.