Judge Bolanos Brings Down Roundup Award To $78 Million

Introduction

On Monday, October 22, 2018, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Suzanne Bolanos declined Monsanto's request to toss the $289 million verdict awarded to a former groundskeeper who developed cancer due to Roundup and Ranger Prov herbicides. Judge Bolanos slashed the amount to be paid from $289 million to $78.5 million, even after a considerable effort by the jurors to maintain the original ruling.

The punitive damage was brought down to $39.25 million from $250 million, while the compensatory award remained intact as $39.25 million. The judge stated that under constitutional law, the punitive damages couldn't be more than compensatory damages; the ratio must be one-to-one. The plaintiff has time till December 7 to accept a total of $78.5 million. In case he rejects it, Bayer, who acquired Monsanto must face a new trial on punitive damages.

This is the first lawsuit to go to trial among hundreds of other cases alleging that glyphosate found in Roundup is carcinogenic. Bayer continues to vouch for glyphosate's safety, and it has been proven to be safe by health regulators in the U.S. and Europe. The plaintiff was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2014 when he used Monsanto's herbicides at a San Francisco Bay Area school.

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