Arguments On Damages Of First Roundup Verdict On June 2

Arguments On Damages Of First Roundup Verdict On June 2

Introduction

A California appeals court looks ready to uphold the nation’s first Roundup verdict but will likely reduce the $78.5 million judgment, which favored the plaintiff as the court found the company guilty of not providing necessary guidelines to the users about the weedkiller.

A former California school district groundskeeper filed the lawsuit against Monsanto on January 28, 2016, alleging that he developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma because of the overexposure to glyphosate present in Monsanto’s Roundup. In August 2018, a San Francisco Superior Court jury settled the lawsuit in the plaintiff's favor by rewarding him $289 million in damages, which was later reduced to $78.5 million.

Lawyers representing Monsanto had argued to reverse the verdict or to start a fresh trial as it lacked evidence. The company even wanted the court to reduce future economic damages and wipe out the punitive damages. On the other hand, the plaintiff appealed to the court for the full settlement amount of $289 million.

As per the Appellate Courts Case Information, the United States Court of Appeal scheduled the hearing of the case to June 2, which will focus on the discussion of whether the amount of the damages provided to Johnson is appropriate.

IARC, considered to be the apex in the field of cancer research, classified glyphosate as a “probable human carcinogen.” According to IARC, Roundup is made up of other ingredients that are toxic in themselves, and are also known to increase the toxicity of glyphosate. Monsanto has known this for many years but still refuses to study the link between cancer and Roundup.

Monsanto has a brief history of legal troubles and Glyphosate is just another herbicide of the company to attract lawsuits. Plaintiffs across the U.S. have filed numerous lawsuits. A plaintiff from one of the Roundup lawsuits claims that she worked as a grower’s assistant on a crop field in New York from 1994 to 1998 where Roundup was regularly sprayed indoors and outdoors resulting in chronic lymphocytic leukemia in 2012. She eventually quit the job and is currently seeking reasonable compensation and punitive damages in court.

Bayer acquired Monsanto in 2018 and currently faces more than 52,000 Roundup cancer lawsuits. The company has lost all the cases so far and has paid around $191 billion combined in damages.