A Quebec woman is seeking permission to file a class action lawsuit against Bayer and Monsanto, the company that makes the herbicide Roundup.
Liliane Paquette never used the product, but handled it and inhaled fumes while working on a farm in l'Assomption. According to court documents, Paquette was exposed to the herbicide between 1997 and 2005.
She was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2005 and hasn't been able to work since.
The suit is seeking $10 million in damages. Paquette is is accusing the manufacturers of breaching their obligation by portraying it as a safe product.
The class action looks to include all Quebecers who were in contact with the RoundUp and diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma since 1976.
“While we have great sympathy for the plaintiffs, glyphosate-based herbicides are not the cause of their illnesses and we will rigorously defend our products,” said Bayer Canada in a statement, adding that the company “firmly stand(s) behind the safety of glyphosate-based products.”
Bayer bought Monsanto in 2018 for $63 billion. The two companies are currently embroiled in more than approximately 14,000 lawsuits worldwide.
Last week a court in California ordered Bayer to pay more than $2 billion to a couple who claimed Roundup cause their cancer.
In 2015, the World Health Organization listed the active ingredient in Roundup as a probable carcinogen, but this year Health Canada maintained its approval of the herbicide as being safe to use.
The lawsuit still needs to be approved by Quebec Superior Court.
