The proposed King v. Monsanto Roundup class settlement has drawn intense scrutiny, and for good reason. The headline number is enormous: up to $7.25 billion to resolve current and future claims involving alleged Roundup exposure and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. But the process behind the deal has raised serious concerns. The class action was filed in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis on February 17, 2026, and the settlement agreement was dated and filed that same day. The proposal then moved quickly to preliminary approval, which the St. Louis court granted on March 4, 2026. Critics have challenged the speed of that process, including the lack of advance notice to many lawyers representing existing Roundup plaintiffs and the absence of a noticed hearing where those concerns could be heard before preliminary approval. Judge Vince Chhabria, who oversees the federal Roundup MDL, reportedly described the deal in a recent hearing as “filthy.”
The dollar figure also deserves a closer look. While $7.25 billion sounds significant in the aggregate, the concern is not only how much money is in the fund, but how the settlement values different people’s claims. Under the settlement’s listed program-award tiers, an occupational Roundup user under 60 with aggressive NHL would have an average program award of $165,000, while a residential user with the same diagnosis and age category would have an average program award of $40,000.
For people living with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and for families who have spent years pursuing individual claims, those numbers may not reflect the full value of their cases. That is why the proposed class settlement should not be treated as a one-size-fits-all answer, especially for claimants who already have cases in active litigation. With the fairness hearing scheduled for July 9, 2026, claimants should understand what the proposed settlement would offer, what claims or rights may be affected, and whether they are even included in the class. Based on those concerns, Matthew Leckman has advised his clients not to participate in the proposed class settlement. In any event, cases that were still in the federal MDL as of February 17, 2026, are not included in the class unless the claimant requests inclusion and dismisses the MDL claim.
Matt Leckman of Leckman Law has represented Roundup plaintiffs in the MDL and in trial courts, and he continues to move individual cases forward. Several clients whose cases were remanded from the MDL already have trial dates in the District of Massachusetts, including Tudal v. Monsanto on November 2, 2026; Sullivan v. Monsanto and McDermott v. Monsanto on November 30, 2026; and Rubin v. Monsanto on January 4, 2027. Anyone who used Roundup and developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma should speak with counsel before making assumptions about how the proposed class settlement may affect their claim. To learn more, use the contact form to schedule a free case review with Leckman Law.
Disclaimer: The articles on this blog are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for legal advice. Reading this post does not create an attorney-client relationship. Prior results and pending litigation developments do not guarantee any particular outcome, and claim eligibility may depend on the facts, applicable deadlines, jurisdiction, court rulings, and other legal considerations. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact the law firm directly.