A Georgia jury has ruled that Bayer, the parent company of Monsanto, must pay nearly $2.1 billion in damages to a man who claims his cancer was caused by using Roundup weed killer.
The plaintiff, John Barnes, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and accused Monsanto of concealing the risks associated with the product.
The big picture: The $2.1 billion penalty includes $65 million in compensatory damages and $2 billion in punitive damages, representing one of the largest verdicts in a Roundup-related case to date.
- The lawsuit, filed by Barnes in 2021, sought damages for his son’s non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis. Attorney Kyle Findley, representing Barnes, highlighted that the verdict will aid in getting the necessary treatment for the plaintiff, noting the importance of exposing the truth about Roundup.
- Despite maintaining that Roundup is safe, Bayer has been met with over 177,000 lawsuits related to the weed killer since acquiring Monsanto in 2018. The company has allocated $16 billion to settle these cases but continues to dispute claims linking Roundup to cancer.
- In response to the verdict, Monsanto argued that it contradicts the scientific evidence and regulatory assessments regarding the safety of Roundup. The company reiterated its full support for the safety of its products.
Driving the news: Roundup, designed to be used with genetically modified seeds, is widely utilized in agriculture to increase crop yields while minimizing soil disruption. While the U.S. EPA states that glyphosate, the key ingredient in Roundup, is not likely carcinogenic when used correctly, numerous lawsuits contend the link between glyphosate and cancer.
- Findley’s legal team, which has secured previous Roundup-related victories, accused Monsanto of concealing scientific studies on Roundup’s toxicity and attempting to downplay its connection to cancer.
