Dicamba® Lawsuit | Dicamba Lawyer, Attorney

Dicamba is a weed-killing herbicide that is linked to lung cancer, colon cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and other side effects. Farm-workers and neighbors may be exposed to “dicamba drift” from fields.

What You Can Do & How We Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently investigating dicamba induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was diagnosed with cancer from dicamba, we would like to speak with you. Please contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation by using the form below or call our Toxic Chemical Litigation Group toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

UPDATE: EPA Cancels Approval for Dicamba

On June 8, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officially canceled approval for dicamba after the Ninth Circuit ruled that the EPA “failed entirely” to acknowledge the risks of dicamba.

The EPA said farmers who already bought dicamba products have until July 31 to use them, but some states have earlier cutoff dates.

“Victory For Farmers” as Jury Awards $265 Million in Dicamba Crop Damage Lawsuit

In February 2020, Monsanto was hit with a $265 million jury award to a peach farmer in Missouri who lost over 30,000 trees due to dicamba weed-killer drifting off neighboring farms.

The lawsuit was filed by Bill and Denise Bader, owners of a 5,000-acre family that used to produce 5 million to 6 million pounds of peaches.

Lawyers accuse Monsanto of intentionally selling GMO soybean and cotton seeds that could be sprayed with dicamba, which the company knew would result in chemical damage to fields that were not planted with GMO soybean or cotton.

Monsanto’s intent, the Baders allege, was to get farmers to buy the company’s GMO soybeans and cotton as a way to avoid crop damage from dicamba drifting off neighboring fields.

Tennessee Becomes 4th State to Restrict Dicamba

In July 2017, Tennessee joined Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas in restricting spraying of the weed-killing chemical dicamba. At least a dozen states have suffered millions of acres of crop damage as a result of illegal dicamba spraying since 2016. Click here to read more.

What is Dicamba?

Dicamba is an herbicidal chemical that kills broad-leafed weeds without killing grass. It is closely related to 2,4-D. Both herbicides kill plants by mimicking plant-growth hormones called auxins, causing the weed to grow in abnormal and uncontrollable ways.

Dicamba in Herbicide Products

Dicamba is often used in conjunction with Roundup (glyphosate) and other herbicides. It is found in over 1,100 herbicidal products that are used for home gardening, farming, commercial agriculture, turf, pastures, roadways, and more. Some brand-name dicamba products include:

Banvel
Brushmaster
Celebrity Plus
Clarity
Diablo
EndRun
Engenia
Enlist
Northstar
Oracle
Roundup Ready Xtend
Sterling Blue
Trimec
Vanquish
Weedmaster
Xtend
Xtendimax

Dicamba and Glyphosate

Roundup® contains glyphosate, an herbicide that is sprayed on over 90% of croplands in the United States. As weeds evolve to survive being sprayed by Roundup, companies like Monsanto and Dow AgroScience have started adding more dicamba and 2,4-D. Monsanto has recently genetically-engineered (GMO) soybeans — called “Roundup Ready Xtend” — that survive spraying by glyphosate and dicamba.

What is Dicamba Drift?

Dicamba is a lot more volatile than glyphosate because it evaporates and drifts away from the field where it was sprayed — often to nearby fields or homes. Off-target dicamba drift incidents can destroy 10-30% of a crop by slowing down new plant growth, causing it to fall behind.

Arkansas Votes to Ban Dicamba Spraying

Despite up to a $25,000 fine per violation, dicamba was illegally sprayed in Arkansas, Tennessee, and Missouri on over 200,000 acres of soybeans. The crisis resulted in over 240 “dicamba drift” complaints in Arkansas alone in 2016, which led the Arkansas Plant Board to ban the spraying of dicamba in June 2017.

Health Effects of Dicamba Poisoning

Swallowing dicamba is moderately toxic to humans. The symptoms of poisoning with dicamba may include:

Loss of appetite (anorexia)
Vomiting
Muscle weakness
Slowed heart rate
Shortness of breath
Central nervous system effects (victim may become excited or depressed)
Benzoic acid in the urine
Incontinence
Cyanosis (bluing of the skin and gums)
Exhaustion following repeated muscle spasms

Symptoms of Dicamba Exposure

Dicamba is highly corrosive to the eyes and exposure can cause vision loss or blindness. Breathing dicamba or skin exposure is less toxic, but it can potentially cause the following side effects:

Dizziness
Nose irritation
Coughing
Skin irritation
Rash
Eye irritation

Dicamba and Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Dicamba exposure doubled a farmer’s risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in a study by the National Cancer Institute in 1992. The study is concerning because Roundup (glyphosate) is also associated with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and other types of cancer in studies of farm-workers in the U.S., Canada, and Sweden.

Can Dicamba Cause Cancer?

The EPA says dicamba is not likely to cause cancer in humans, but a study in 2006 linked dicamba exposure to higher rates of colon cancer and lung cancer among over 20,000 pesticide-workers who sprayed dicamba on farms. Researchers have also raised alarm about two cancer-causing contaminants in dicamba:

2,7-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin: Closely related to 2,3,7,8-TCDD, a chemical that causes leukemia, lymphoma, liver cancer, and blood cancer in lab rats.
Dimethylnitrosamine: Low levels of this chemical cause cancer in lab animals.

Do I have a Dicamba Lawsuit?

Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.

Dicamba Lawsuit