The Monsanto-produced weed-killer Roundup is commonly used to repair and maintain the look of many parks, fields, beaches, and other areas in New York City where people congregate. However, one active ingredient has become a cause for concern - glyphosate.
The widespread risk
According to New York Daily News, the product was initially scrutinized after a California man who worked as a school groundskeeper was diagnosed with cancer. After a jury found Monsanto responsible for the man's condition, he was awarded $289 million in damages.
The ingredient was labeled a possible cancer agent by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2015. While exposure to small amounts of glyphosate may be harmless to human health, workers who are exposed to it on a regular basis are at a high risk of developing cancer.
In New York City, groundskeepers and custodians are the most susceptible. When spraying Roundup, they are likely to inhale it or become covered in it. In 2017, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation used over 500 gallons of glyphosate in more than 28,000 acres of public reactional land across the city.
Filing a workers' compensation claim in New York
If you have developed cancer due to job-related exposure to cancer-causing agents, you may be unsure of where to turn. Filing a workers' compensation claim can a confusing and complex process. The insurance companies that handle workers' compensation benefits may be more likely to deny your claim, especially if there is no hard evidence that the nature of your job resulted in cancer. Insurance companies are good at one thing - taking advantage of loopholes in the workers' compensation system and keeping their own costs down.
Having the right attorney on your side is crucial to obtaining the workers' compensation benefits in New York. At Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano LLP Attorneys At Law, we represent injured workers in greater New York City. With decades of experience and legal knowledge, we'll guide you through this complex process.
Additionally, if your cancer was attributed to the active ingredients of Roundup, you may be eligible for a third-party workplace injury claim. Unlike workers' compensation, which is a no-fault system, negligence must be proven. In this case, you would be eligible for a lawsuit against the manufacturer or distributor of Roundup.
No matter how complex your case may be, contact us online for a free evaluation. We can help.