Former ESPN analyst Merril Hoge has filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer of Roundup weed killer, claiming that the herbicide caused his cancer.
The former NFL running back filed his suit against Monsanto alleging that his non-Hodgkin lymphoma resulted in permanent “physical pain and mental anguish,” CNN reported.
Hoge’s lawsuit filed in a U.S. District Court in Idaho accuses Monsanto of negligence and claims the company promoted “false, misleading, and untrue” statements about the safety of the weedkiller.
The one-time Pittsburgh Steeler says in his filing that he used the weed killer on his plants and followed all instructions and safety warnings for use.
Hoge is not alone in charging the company with negligence over the herbicide. Up to 18,000 people have filed lawsuits over Roundup, according to Yahoo News.
The company, since taken over by Bayer corp., disputes the claims that Roundup has caused anyone cancer.
“We have great sympathy for any individual with cancer, but the extensive body of science on glyphosate-based herbicides over four decades supports the conclusion that Roundup does not cause NHL,” Bayer told CNN.
Still, several plaintiffs have already won substantial judgments against the company over the herbicide. One man who sued Monsanto, school groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson, was awarded $78 million.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.
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