Roundup (Glyphosate) Litigation: Where the Claims Stand

Roundup is a glyphosate-based herbicide that Monsanto sold and that Bayer acquired when it bought Monsanto in 2018. From 2018 onward, juries in US state and federal courts returned verdicts for people who alleged that Roundup caused their non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A federal multidistrict proceeding in California consolidated thousands of the federal cases, and Bayer has announced two large settlement programs, one in 2020 and a proposed nationwide class settlement in February 2026. In June 2026 the US Supreme Court held that a federal pesticide law preempts the state failure-to-warn theory on which most of the cases rested. No court has decided, as a general scientific question binding all claims, that glyphosate causes cancer.

What Roundup is and how it is regulated

Roundup’s active ingredient is glyphosate. Pesticide labels are governed by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers. EPA has concluded that glyphosate is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans and that there are no risks of concern to human health when it is used according to the label, a finding it says is consistent with other regulators such as the European Food Safety Authority. EPA disagreed with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans,” and EPA has said the two reviews differed in scope and method.

EPA’s own glyphosate review has shifted. EPA published an interim registration review decision for glyphosate on February 3, 2020. On June 17, 2022, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit vacated the human-health portion of that decision and remanded it to EPA for a fuller explanation, and EPA then withdrew the remaining portions of the interim decision. EPA has said its underlying scientific findings, including that glyphosate is not likely to be carcinogenic, remain unchanged while it updates its evaluation.

What is established vs. what is alleged

Established by agency or court action

• EPA has registered glyphosate for use and concluded it is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans. A federal appeals court vacated part of EPA’s 2020 interim decision, and EPA withdrew the rest.
• The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) created a federal multidistrict litigation (MDL) for Roundup product-liability claims in the Northern District of California on October 3, 2016, assigned to Judge Vince Chhabria.
• In the first federal bellwether trial, a jury awarded plaintiff Edwin Hardeman $5,267,634.10 in compensatory damages and $75 million in punitive damages. The trial court reduced the punitive award to $20 million, and the Ninth Circuit affirmed on May 14, 2021.
• Bayer announced agreements on June 24, 2020 to resolve major legacy Monsanto litigation, including a total payment of $10.1 billion to $10.9 billion for current and potential future Roundup claims. Bayer said the agreements contain no admission of liability or wrongdoing.
• Bayer announced a proposed nationwide class settlement on February 17, 2026, funded by up to $7.25 billion over up to 21 years, filed for preliminary approval in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis, Missouri.
• March 4, 2026: A judge of the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis, Missouri grants preliminary approval of the class settlement. The opt-out and objection period closes on June 4, 2026.
• September 14, 2026: The final approval hearing is held after the Eighth Circuit declines to move the approval decision to federal court. The court takes the decision under advisement and issues no ruling from the bench.
• On June 25, 2026, the Supreme Court decided Monsanto Co. v. Durnell by a 7-2 vote, holding that FIFRA expressly preempts a state-law failure-to-warn claim that would require a cancer warning on a pesticide label.

Alleged, not decided

• That Roundup or glyphosate caused any individual’s non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Plaintiffs alleged failure to warn and, in some cases, design defect. No court has issued a general-causation finding binding on all claims.
• That Monsanto or Bayer knew of an unreasonably dangerous cancer risk and failed to warn users. Bayer denies the claims and says the science shows glyphosate is safe when used as directed.

Where the claims stand procedurally

The federal cases are consolidated in In re Roundup Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2741, in the US District Court for the Northern District of California before Judge Vince Chhabria. The JPML report for October 1, 2026 lists 1,104 actions pending in the MDL out of 5,324 transferred over the life of the proceeding. An MDL is not a class action; see MDL versus class action and how mass tort litigation works.

Beyond the MDL, Bayer said in February 2026 that roughly 65,000 claims were pending in US state and federal courts, according to Reuters. Approval of the proposed $7.25 billion class settlement is still pending. A Missouri circuit judge granted preliminary approval on March 4, 2026, and the period for opting out or objecting closed on June 4, 2026. The final approval hearing was held on September 14, 2026, after the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit refused to move the approval decision into federal court; the court took the decision under advisement and had not ruled as of this page’s review date. Under the court-approved notice programme, someone with a non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis registers for benefits within 180 days after final approval, and files a claim within 180 days after any appeals are resolved. Class members may opt out, and Bayer can terminate the settlement if too many do.

The Supreme Court’s June 2026 ruling does not by itself dismiss pending cases, but it forecloses the label-based failure-to-warn theory. Before that ruling, appellate courts in several circuits and states had reached different conclusions about FIFRA preemption. The Court’s opinion listed decisions from the split, including Carson v. Monsanto Co. (11th Cir. 2024), Hardeman v. Monsanto Co. (9th Cir. 2021), Pilliod v. Monsanto Co. (Cal. Ct. App. 2021), and Schaffner v. Monsanto Corp. (3d Cir. 2024), and resolved it in Monsanto’s favor. This publication’s product liability coverage also follows the AFFF PFAS foam and preterm infant formula cases.

Key dates

• October 3, 2016: The JPML transfers Roundup product-liability cases into MDL No. 2741 in the Northern District of California, assigned to Judge Chhabria.
• 2018 onward: Juries return plaintiff verdicts in Roundup trials in state and federal courts.
• February 3, 2020: EPA publishes the glyphosate interim registration review decision.
• June 24, 2020: Bayer announces agreements totaling $10.1 billion to $10.9 billion to resolve current Roundup claims and potential future claims.
• May 14, 2021: The Ninth Circuit affirms the first federal bellwether verdict in Hardeman v. Monsanto.
• June 17, 2022: The Ninth Circuit vacates the human-health portion of EPA’s interim glyphosate decision.
• February 17, 2026: Bayer announces a proposed $7.25 billion nationwide class settlement.
• June 25, 2026: The Supreme Court decides Monsanto Co. v. Durnell, holding that FIFRA preempts the state failure-to-warn claim.

What this does not establish

The record does not show that any court has held that glyphosate causes cancer in humans as a general matter. The Supreme Court’s 2026 decision turned on preemption, not causation. Neither of Bayer’s settlement announcements contains an admission of liability. The 2026 class settlement has not been finally approved and may face appeals, so no claimant is yet assured of a payment. A plaintiff verdict in one trial does not bind other cases.

Frequently asked questions

Has the Roundup litigation ended?

No. The June 2026 ruling addresses one legal theory, and the proposed $7.25 billion class settlement still requires court approval and may be appealed. Some claims remain unresolved.

Did the Supreme Court decide whether Roundup causes cancer?

Neither. The Court decided that FIFRA preempts a state-law claim that would require a cancer warning EPA has not required. It did not decide the scientific question of causation.

What has EPA concluded about glyphosate?

EPA has concluded that glyphosate is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans and that there are no risks of concern to human health when it is used according to the label. A federal appeals court vacated the human-health portion of EPA’s 2020 interim decision, which EPA then withdrew while it updates its evaluation.

How much is a Roundup claim worth?

There is no single figure. Juries have returned verdicts from a few million dollars to multibillion-dollar awards later reduced by courts. The proposed 2026 class settlement describes payouts that vary by exposure, age at diagnosis, and the type of lymphoma, with amounts reported between $10,000 and $165,000, according to Reuters. Those are the settlement’s own terms, not guaranteed results.

Where can the current status be checked?

The JPML publishes monthly MDL statistics, and the Northern District of California maintains the MDL No. 2741 docket. Court records are the authoritative source for any case.

Sources

1. Supreme Court of the United States: “Monsanto Co. v. Durnell, No. 24-1068 (slip opinion)” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
2. Bayer AG: “Monsanto announces Roundup class settlement agreement to resolve current and future claims” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
3. Bayer AG: “Bayer announces agreements to resolve major legacy Monsanto litigation” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
4. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: “EPA Withdraws Glyphosate Interim Decision” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
5. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: “Glyphosate” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
6. U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit: “Hardeman v. Monsanto Co., Nos. 19-16636, 19-16708 (9th Cir. May 14, 2021)” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
7. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation: “MDL Statistics Report: Docket Summary Listing (October 1, 2026)” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
8. Reuters (syndicated via Yahoo Finance): “Bayer faces pivotal test of $7.25 billion Roundup settlement in Missouri court” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
9. Bayer AG: “Statement on the class final approval hearing” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
10. Court-appointed settlement notice programme: “Weed Killer Class Settlement” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)

CollectiveClaim.us publishes general legal information. This article is not legal advice and does not create an attorney–client relationship. Court records and agency actions change; verify current status with the court or agency before relying on it.