Atlanta, GA – A Georgia jury has mandated Bayer, the parent company of Monsanto, to pay approximately $2.1 billion in damages to John Barnes, who claimed that Monsanto’s widely-used herbicide, Roundup, caused his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The verdict, delivered late Friday, amounted to one of the heftiest legal repercussions faced by the company concerning its herbicide.
According to his attorneys from Arnold & Itkin LLP and Kline & Specter PC, the compensation awarded to Barnes includes $65 million in compensatory damages alongside a substantial $2 billion in punitive damages, reflecting the jury’s stance on the severity of the case. This significant payout is the latest in a slew of legal challenges Monsanto has encountered over allegations that its flagship product contributes to cancer.
Kyle Findley, the leading trial lawyer for the case from Arnold & Itkin, remarked that the journey to this verdict had been arduous for Barnes. He expressed satisfaction that the trial had brought to light the alleged dangers of the product. Dubbing the verdict an “important milestone,” Findley criticized Monsanto for its consistent denial of responsibility for the purported harmful effects of Roundup.
Despite the verdict, Bayer remains defiant, suggesting that the scientific consensus and regulatory assessments globally support the safety of Roundup. The company highlighted its intent to appeal the decision, contending that the ruling contradicts the preponderance of scientific evidence which does not link glyphosate, Roundup’s active ingredient, to human carcinogenicity.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has maintained that glyphosate is unlikely to cause cancer if used as directed. However, over 177,000 lawsuits have been filed against the product, asserting its link to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This has prompted Bayer to allocate around $16 billion for settlements.
The broader debate over Roundup involves its role in modern agriculture, where it is used in conjunction with genetically modified seeds that are resistant to the herbicide. This allows for reduced soil tilling and potentially higher crop yields. However, concerns remain about the long-term safety and environmental impact of its widespread use.
Evidence presented during the trial pointed to alleged cover-ups and deceit concerning Roundup’s safety. Findley accused Monsanto of disregarding and attempting to discredit scientific studies that depicted the product’s potential health risks.
The verdict is the fourth major court loss for Monsanto related to Roundup under Findley’s team, with a previous case in Philadelphia awarding $2.25 billion in damages. According to Findley, many more similar cases are lined up, emphasizing the breadth of the issue.
As Bayer prepares for an appeal, it has also been engaged in broader legal strategies, such as campaigning in several U.S. states for laws that would shield pesticide manufacturers from certain types of legal claims if their products meet existing regulatory standards. The company argues that the liabilities from continuous litigation are unsustainable and could affect the product’s future availability.
In a related legislative development, the Georgia House recently passed a tort reform measure advocated by Governor Brian Kemp. This law, which places new limitations on lawsuit damages among other adjustments to the civil legal process, could affect future cases similar to Barnes’.
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