Farmers increasingly rely on large companies to supply the various materials they need to run their farms and support their families and their communities. Many of these agricultural supply companies manufacture, distribute, sell, and supply products that can cause serious damage to small and large farmers alike. If you’ve suffered a serious financial loss or physical injury due to the actions of an agriculture business, contact Minces Rankin to learn more about your legal rights.
The products produced and actions taken by companies like ConAgra, Monsanto, Syngenta, and Bayer CropScience have a significant impact on the agricultural industry and on crop prices, which can threaten the livelihood of our nation’s farmers who grow the crops we need to survive. The decisions these giant businesses make can result in serious health and financial consequences; therefore, you may have grounds to file a legal action to recover monetary damages. Some examples of agricultural mass torts include:
- Paraquat Lawsuits: This commonly used chemical herbicide has serious consequences; individuals exposed to it are 2.5 times more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease, a progressive nervous system disorder that affects motor function. The toxic chemical has already been banned in at least 32 countries.
- Roundup Lawsuits: The most common weed killer on the market is a probable carcinogen for humans. Glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup, damages human cells, which can cause various types of cancer. Roundup has been linked to thousands of cases of farmers, landscapers, and even home gardeners being diagnosed with various types of cancer.
- Syngenta Lawsuits: Genetically modified corn was sold to U.S. corn farmers, even though the manufacturer knew if was not approved by foreign markets. When China rejected almost all U.S. corn imports, the corn farmers lost billions of dollars in revenue. The financial impact was devastating to the hardworking farmers of America.
All of these cases — and many more like them — leave innocent, hard-working Americans suffering financial loss, physically injured, and even wrongfully killed.
Agricultural litigation can be extremely complex and requires in depth knowledge of modern farming. Large corporations often prioritize profits over people. These powerful agribusinesses make bad decisions that have far-reaching impacts on small farmers trying to earn a living. For this reason, having experienced legal counsel represent you in agribusiness mass torts is crucial to the success of your claim.
What is a Mass Tort?
Mass production is extremely common in agribusiness. When one company behaves negligently or recklessly, its actions have significant consequences, damaging thousands of farmers who suffer severe financial consequences and even debilitating personal injury. Since the actions of large companies impact large groups of people, the resulting lawsuits are often handled as mass torts or in multi-state, multi-plaintiff class actions.
While many lawsuits involve an individual seeking compensation for damages, in both mass tort and class action cases, multiple plaintiffs make up large groups of people who were hurt in the same way by the same party. In mass tort litigation and in class action litigation, multiple cases are consolidated – or handled together – in a single court.
Mass torts are often confused with class action lawsuits, but they are actually very different. The key difference between them is how the large group of plaintiffs is treated. In class actions, the plaintiffs all receive the same financial award, whereas in mass torts each individual case will have its own value.
Nationwide Mass Torts Lawyers
Big agriculture is big business, and like all big businesses, these companies have significant resources and the best legal teams money can buy on their side. If you need to file a lawsuit against an agricultural company, you should work with a firm that has experience fighting these adversaries and winning. Our agriculture attorneys handle cases where large companies take advantage of small farmers.
The law firm of Minces Rankin has handled large and complex cases since its inception. Our legal team assists individuals and families anywhere in the United States with agribusiness mass tort claims. If you’re a farmer who suffered a significant financial loss or a serious personal injury or illness due to the actions of an agricultural company, contact us today for a free consultation with one of our experienced trial lawyers.