Corporate Accountability
Start writing a post
Life Stages

The Time For Corporate Accountability Has Come

The Implications of the Recent Monsanto Case on further issues of Corporate Accountability

47
The Time For Corporate Accountability Has Come
Photo via Gabriel Gurrola

If you have ever watched the Oscar-nominated movies The Insider and A Civil Action, you are well aware of how difficult it is for an individual to hold an entire corporation liable for injurious actions.

As the stories of Jan Schlictmann vs. the W.R. Grace chemical company and Jeffrey Wigand vs. the tobacco industry were based on real events, the obstacles that stand in the way of those seeking justice against money are all too true. Various big companies have tried anything from intimidating lawsuits, to even sanctioning anonymous death threats (in the case of Jeffrey Wigand) in order to silence whistleblowers and any community action. However, recently there has been a legal development that may perhaps establish a new precedent.

A precedent where anyone, regardless of power or status, can seek and obtain proper justice no matter what the odds. When Dewayne Johnson and his legal team sued the agricultural giant Monsanto on the grounds that Monsanto's weed killer Roundup caused Johnson to develop terminal cancer, they gained a victory so great that it may inspire scores of others with complaints against Monsanto and other industries to make their voices heard as well.

What happened before and during the case

Dewayne Johnson was a former groundskeeper for the San Francisco Bay Area school district and had reported using the Monsanto weedkiller Roundup 20-30 times per school year for gardening purposes.

At the age of 42, Johnson, a rash began to grow on Johnson's body that was later identified as a terminal case of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Since the International Agency for Research on Cancer had declared that glyphosate (a key ingredient in Roundup), was "probably carcinogenic to humans," Johnson and his legal team decided to sue Monsanto for damages in order to hold them accountable for selling an extremely dangerous, cancer-causing product.

Johnson also testified that he wore as much protective clothing as possible and even when he accidentally spilled the weedkiller on himself, he made sure to contact Monsanto's consumer hotline for help with cleaning himself up (they never replied to him). While Monsanto's attorneys testified that Johnson's cancer potentially takes years to develop, and may have even started before he began work as a groundskeeper at that school district, they were unable to refute the clear evidence that Roundup was likely carcinogenic, given that it contained the toxin Glyphosate.

Eventually, the jury of the Superior Court of California in San Francisco decided on a verdict that provided Johnson with approximately $39 million in compensatory damages (to try to make up for the effect of his cancer on him and his family) and about $250 million in punitive damages (payments to punish Monsanto).

What made this case different?

Given the highly sensitive and controversial nature of the Johnson's case, the most logical (albeit immoral) course of action for a large corporation like Monsanto would be to find someway to prevent Johnson from even getting his day in court. As previously stated, effective ways to accomplish this would be to perhaps threaten a lawsuit meant to silence Johnson, or even give him a small amount of money as a quick settlement to end matters without much negative publicity for Monsanto.

However, in California, patients who are determined by a doctor to be near death can have their legal cases expedited. In other words, Johnson was able to take his case to court before Monsanto could really try to counteract him because his terminal non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma made him eligible for faster legal proceedings.

What could happen now?

Last year, over 800 people were pursuing lawsuits against Monsanto because they believed that they had also contracted non-Hodgkin's lymphoma from use of Roundup. Johnson's attorney says that he now represents "more than 2,000 non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma sufferers who used Roundup extensively."

Given how Dewayne Johnson's case went, it is probable that Monsanto will have to pay compensation many more times in the future. Corporations may finally be held responsible if they intentionally market harmful products. This accountability can only be benefit our society.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

47734
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

30257
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

954304
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

171955
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments