File No. 86030328 Attorney Willie Gary and his legal team along with NC Attorney Miguel Cuadra hold defendants responsible for their client’s terminal cancer diagnosis when Melanie Lynn LaFond landed her job as a lawn maintenance worker she was ecstatic to learn she would be working full-time and would be able to provide a better quality of life for her three boys. Employed by FOR EVER GREEN Landscape Services, Inc., in Palm Beach County, Florida, Ms. LaFond meticulously worked five to six days a week for 8-10 hours each day. While wearing a tank filled with Roundup® on her back, she handled her daily job duties, which were to exclusively spray Roundup onto weeds and other unwanted vegetation. Ms. LaFond performed her job with diligence, however her employer failed to provide proper protective gear as a measure of protection from this toxic and cancer-causing chemical, that was known to be harmful and deadly. Ms. LaFond was informed by her employer on numerous occasions that Roundup was safe and that she did not need to wear protective clothing or gear while using it. She was told she did not need gloves or a mask and was not provided either item by her employer. Ms. LaFond noticed her voice had become hoarse; she assumed she had a simple head cold, however that was not the case at all. She continued to go to work each day, riding along with the rest of the team in the work-truck until she could no longer function. One day she climbed into the truck and started to experience difficulty breathing. She requested to be transported to the nearest hospital [JFK Hospital], where she was diagnosed with terminal Stage IV Cancer. Ms. LaFond is still undergoing medical treatment and is in the care of her family and physicians. She continues to deteriorate daily and the doctor’s prognosis is grim. She is no longer able to walk or talk; instead she lies in her hospital bed with a tracheotomy tube inserted through her neck. She communicates with her caregivers by making groans, hums, and whimpers. This 36-year-old young mother of three can no longer talk to and effectively communicate with her young sons. Famed Attorney Willie Gary of Gary, Williams, Parenti, Watson and Gary, PLLC, his associates Larry Strauss and Loreal McDonald along with North Carolina based attorney Miguel Cuadra, have filed a billion-dollar lawsuit against the defendants for their grossly negligent marketing and sale of Roundup (a product known to cause cancer), and against FOR EVER GREEN for their complete failure to warn and equip the plaintiff with protective gear while using Roundup under their direction. “These defendants knowingly and willfully prioritized profits over the health and safety of millions of people around the world,” said attorney Willie Gary, lead counsel for the Plaintiff. He added, “People like Ms. LaFond, a hard-working mother of three, toiling in the sun doing an honest day’s work for her family, should not have to suffer the way the Plaintiff is suffering.” Gary says this lawsuit was filed to address a much larger issue in our society and that is “large corporations taking advantage of the least of these for monetary gain.” Bayer recently acquired agricultural giant Monsanto in a blockbuster $66 billion-dollar deal in order to create one of the world’s largest agrichemical companies. Both Bayer and Monsanto are blatantly aware of the massive physical injury Roundup can cause and has caused, because they have been sued multiple times for the same detriment. The more recent case against Roundup was in August of 2018 where a gardener used Roundup for an extended period of time and suffered from the same cancer as Ms. LaFond. Companies that supply and market goods are mandated to label the products with a full disclosure of accuracy of ingredients, and alert consumers regarding any unsafe, chemically hazardous materials. Companies are also obligated to warn consumers about proper use of their products. Bayer/Monsanto’s Roundup is not labeled with clear warning signs. Gary is no stranger to seeking justice. Gary and his legal team are known for taking on some of the nation’s most powerful corporate giants, including the funeral industry. In 1995, a jury awarded Gary and his legal team a record-breaking, half-billion dollars against one of the world’s largest funeral chains, The Loewen Group. In addition, Gary is noted for winning a $240 million jury verdict in Orange County against the Walt Disney Corporation for his clients who alleged that Disney stole their idea for a sports theme park; and the list goes on and on.
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