In a landmark judgment on August 10, a San Francisco jury awarded the groundskeeper $250 million in punitive damages and nearly $40 million in compensatory damages over his alleged cancer.
The plaintiff, who is nearing death, argued for about $412 million in punitive damages and $39 million in compensatory damages over allegations that Monsanto's Roundup weedkiller and Ranger Prov herbicides caused him non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in 2014. The plaintiff's win serves as an example for millions struggling to prove their case against the agricultural giant. His case was the first to undergo trial among several hundred affected due to the weedkiller.
While Monsanto officials continue to deny Roundup's involvement in causing deadly cancer, a spokesperson expressed that they are planning to appeal the jury's decision and stand by the product's safety. Roundup lawsuits are consolidated as a part of multidistrict litigation (MDL No. 2741; In Re: Roundup Products Liability Litigation), which holds more than 2,200 lawsuits, presided over by Judge Vince Chhabria, in the U.S. District Court of San Francisco.
