Chicago has joined other cities, states and government groups by filing an environmental contamination lawsuit against international chemical giant Monsanto in connection with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) manufactured by the company.

Banned in the United States in the late 1970s, PCBs are known to cause cancer, disrupt the human endocrine system, and cause other health problems. PCBs were mainly used as coolants in electrical transformers, and Monsanto was the chemical’s only North American producer.

According to the lawsuit, leftover PCBs continue to discharge into Lake Michigan and the Chicago River through rainwater. Up until now, the city has been forced to fund all PCB cleanup.

“Records show that Monsanto intentionally misled the public despite knowing the dangers PCBs posed to the environment,” Chicago Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry told the Chicago Sun-Times. “We bring this lawsuit to ensure that polluters are held accountable for their actions.”

The attorney general of the State of Illinois brought a similar suit against Monsanto last year, alleging statewide contamination and negligence. The chemical company attempted to have the case dismissed, but failed.

Similar suits have been filed against Monsanto by the states of Oregon and Vermont, the town of Lee, Massachusetts, dozens of school districts, and individual plaintiffs from across the country, just to name a few.

Have You or a Loved One Been Exposed to an Environmental Contamination?

If you believe you or a loved one has been injured as a result of an environmental contamination, contact the environmental contamination lawyers at the Roach Law Firm today. They have participated in the following landmark cases:

  • $119 Million Mining Contamination Class Action
    Roach Law Firm Partner Nelson J. Roach recovered $119 million for roughly 7,000 Oklahomans in an environmental class action accusing defendants Phelps Dodge Corporation and its parent company, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Inc., of failing to properly address lead, arsenic, and cadmium contamination in the town of Blackwell, Oklahoma.
  • $47 Million Red River Army Depot Toxic Tort Litigation
    Roach Law Firm Partner Nelson J. Roach recovered $47 million for workers and families at the Red River Army Depot in Northeast Texas. The plaintiffs suffered from diseases caused by exposure to rubber products in the workplace.
  • $730 Million Truck Accident Verdict
    In 2021, Roach Law Firm Partner Nelson J. Roach won $730 million in a case arising from a Texas truck accident, the fourth-largest jury verdict in the United States and third-largest in Texas that year. The case was filed by the family of East Texas resident Toni Combest, a 73-year-old great-grandmother who was killed in a collision with an oversize-cargo truck hauling a propeller for a U.S. Navy nuclear submarine.

Next Steps

The Roach Law Firm operates on a contingency basis, meaning we are paid only if we win your case. We charge no upfront fees for filing your environmental contamination case, and we will not bill you for any expenses while it is pending.

If you or one of your loved ones have suffered a serious injury or death related to an environmental contamination, call us at (903) 645-7333 or fill out the electronic form on this page. One of our experienced environmental contamination lawyers will be in touch with you as soon as possible.