How Do You Prove You Used Roundup If You Don’t Have Receipts?

If you or a loved one developed Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma after years of using Roundup, one of your first concerns might be about proof. You may be thinking, “I used it for decades, but I threw away the bottles and I don’t have any receipts. How can I possibly have a case?” This is a very common and valid concern. The good news is that you do not need a shoebox full of old receipts to build a successful claim.

Proving your history of Roundup exposure is about gathering many different types of evidence that, together, paint a clear and credible picture. At Walch Law, we specialize in helping families reconstruct this history. Our consultations are always free and confidential, and you pay no fees unless we secure a financial recovery for you.

What Courts and Settlement Programs Look For

In a Roundup lawsuit, lawyers, judges, and settlement administrators are looking for credible and consistent evidence. They want to see proof that answers four key questions:

Product Identification: Can you show it was Roundup or another glyphosate-based herbicide?
Duration: For how many years did you use it?
Frequency: How often did you use it within those years (e.g., daily, weekly, seasonally)?
Tasks & Context: What were you doing? Mixing concentrates? Spraying large areas?

A single document is rarely enough. A strong case is built by weaving together multiple sources of proof that corroborate your story.

Identifying the Product Without a Receipt

The first hurdle is proving you used a glyphosate-based product like Roundup. Old receipts are great, but there are many other ways to identify the chemical.

Photos and Videos: Look through old family photos, home videos, or even social media posts. A picture of you doing yard work with a Roundup bottle in the background can be powerful evidence.
Digital Purchase Histories: Check your order history on websites like Amazon, Home Depot, Lowe’s, or other online retailers. Many loyalty card programs also keep a record of your purchases.
Financial Statements: Bank or credit card statements may show purchases from farm supply stores, garden centers, or hardware stores that correspond with your use timeline.
Employer and Commercial Records: If you used Roundup at work, your employer may have purchase logs, chemical inventories, or invoices. Landscaping invoices, agricultural supplier statements, or even HOA maintenance records can also contain this information.
Physical Remnants: Check your garage, shed, or basement. You may still have old bottles, sprayers, instruction booklets, or Safety Data Sheets (SDS) tucked away.

Corroboration from Witnesses and Employers

What other people saw can be just as important as what you have on paper. Statements from witnesses who can confirm your Roundup use are crucial.

Declarations and Depositions: We can prepare sworn declarations or take deposition testimony from co-workers, supervisors, neighbors, or family members who saw you mixing and spraying the product over the years.
Employment Records: Old job descriptions, timesheets, union records, or performance reviews might describe your duties, such as “weed abatement” or “herbicide application.”
Licenses and Training Certificates: If you were a professional applicator, records of your applicator license, continuing education credits, or pesticide safety training sign-in sheets can establish your work with these chemicals.

Reconstructing Your Use Timeline

Creating a detailed timeline is essential. Think about the rhythm of your life and work.

Schedules and Seasons: Connect your Roundup use to seasonal activities, like spring planting, summer weed control, or fall cleanup. For agricultural workers, this could be tied to specific crop cycles.
Digital Communications: Search old emails, calendars, or text messages that might mention spraying the yard or scheduling weed control tasks.
Dated Photos and Satellite Imagery: “Before and after” photos of a landscaping project can have date stamps. We can even use historical Google Street View or drone imagery to show treated areas over time.

Proving Exposure Frequency and Intensity

It’s not just about proving you used it, but also how much and how often. This helps experts determine your cumulative exposure level.

Estimate the size of the area you sprayed (e.g., a quarter-acre yard, 10 acres of farmland).
Recall how many jugs or tanks you would use per month or per season.
Note the mix ratios you typically used.
Describe the personal protective equipment (PPE) you used, or if you didn’t use any.
Detail any specific incidents, like spills on your skin or breathing in spray on a windy day.

What to Do Now If You Lack Receipts

If you’ve been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and believe Roundup is the cause, start taking these steps today:

Secure Your Digital Histories: Download your purchase history from Amazon and other online retailers.
Gather Witness Information: Make a list of family, friends, and co-workers who can verify your use.
Photograph Everything: Take clear, dated photos of any old Roundup bottles or sprayers you still have.
Request Records: Ask former employers or retailers for any records they may still have.
Preserve Devices: Do not get rid of old phones or computers that may contain photos or emails.
Start a Journal: Write down everything you can remember about your work and Roundup use. Create a sworn declaration detailing your history while it’s fresh in your mind.

Countering Common Defense Attacks

The manufacturer’s lawyers will try to poke holes in your case. They will argue there’s “no proof of product,” that your use was only “sporadic,” or that your illness was caused by “alternative exposures.” The way to counter these attacks is with a consistent narrative backed by multiple, corroborating pieces of evidence. This is where making sure you hire the best Los Angeles Roundup law firm makes all the difference.

How Walch Law Helps You Build Your Case

You do not have to do this alone. Our firm specializes in the hard work of evidence gathering. We will:

Create a detailed evidence plan tailored to your specific history.
Use subpoenas and formal records requests to obtain documents from employers, retailers, and government agencies.
Work with forensic experts to recover digital proof from old devices if necessary.
Engage top toxicologists and occupational hygienists to build a powerful expert report.
Organize your evidence into a clear exposure matrix that links your use history to your medical diagnosis.
Handle all negotiations with medical lienholders like Medicare to maximize your net recovery.

If you have been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and used Roundup, don’t let a lack of receipts stop you from seeking justice. Contact Walch Law today for a free, no-obligation consultation to learn how we can help you build your case.