Bayer-Monsanto must pay $1.25 million to a man who sued the company alleging he developed cancer from exposure to its Roundup weedkiller, a jury in St. Louis, Missouri found.
The lawyer for the plaintiff said the verdict broke a winning streak for the company, which had prevailed in the previous nine trials over Roundup. The lawyer said the trial was the first in which jurors heard evidence that other chemicals in Roundup besides its main ingredient, glyphosate, could cause cancer.
The verdict did not include punitive damages. "The client and plaintiff's lawyers are extremely happy and grateful for the verdict after a hard-fought 3 week trial," the lawyer said.
Bayer said in a statement that it will appeal. "We continue to stand behind the safety of Roundup and will defend the safety of our products and our good faith actions in any future litigation," the company said.
The plaintiff suing over Roundup, said he developed a type of cancer known as non-Hodgkins lymphoma. He is in remission from the disease, according to the lawyer.
Roundup-related lawsuits have dogged Bayer since it acquired the brand as part of its $63 billion purchase of agricultural seeds and pesticides maker Monsanto Co in 2018. The German conglomerate has said that decades of studies have shown Roundup and its active ingredient, glyphosate, are safe for human use.
Bayer settled most Roundup claims against it in 2020 for up to $10.9 billion, but still faces close to 40,000 Roundup-related cases. It has sought to challenge plaintiffs' ability to sue under state law before the U.S. Supreme Court, so far unsuccessfully.
