AAJ, Public Justice Urge U.S. Supreme Court to Reject Monsanto’s Effort to Seek Legal Immunity

WASHINGTON, DC—The American Association for Justice (AAJ)  and Public Justice  filed an  amic i curiae  brief today urging the U.S. Supreme Court to  protect the right of Americans to seek legal  accountability  under their state ’s  law by  affirm ing  the Court of Appeals’ decision in  Monsanto v. Durnell .  Monsanto is  continuing to appeal  a 2023 Missouri ruling  in favor  of  John  Durnell after he developed non-Hodgkin 's  lymphoma , alleging that M onsant o  f ailed  to  warn  the public  of  health  risks  associated with  its pesticide product, Roundup. 
 AAJ and Public Justice argue that the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) does not bar state failure-to-warn claims ,  and Monsanto’s  responsibilit y u nder Missouri law is  consistent with its respon s ibilit y  under FIFRA. If the Supreme Court were to adopt Monsanto’s position,  it would immunize manufacturers of dangerous pesticide products from accountability under  every  state ’s  law.
"Chemical companies like Monsanto  (now Bayer)  have gone to the courts, state legislatures, and the U.S. Congress to seek immunity and deprive Americans of their right to hold  Monsanto  accountable,"  said Matthew Wessler ,  Principal at Gupta Wessler LLP.  " Now,  we hope that the  U.S. Supreme Court  will prot ect the rights of  America ns and ensure that  the makers of dangerous  pesticide s aren't able to evade  legal responsibility  after  causing  widespread harm  to  farmers and families."
Read AAJ and Public Justice’s  joint  brief here .
###  The  American Association for Justice  works to safeguard rights, promote fairness, and strengthen access to civil justice—even when it means taking on the most powerful corporations.  AAJ’s vision is justice for all.


CONTACT Heather K. Sager Email: Heather.Sager@justice.org Phone: (202) 579-1205