A federal jury has awarded $80 million to a California man after determining that Monsanto’s popular weedkiller, Roundup, was a substantial factor in causing his cancer, and that the corporation is liable.
The jury in San Francisco awarded compensatory damages at $5.27 million and punitive damages of $75 million to the plaintiff, Edwin Hardeman.
During the first phase of the trial last week, the jury dealt a blow to Monsanto, saying Roundup was a substantial factor in causing Hardeman’s non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The second phase focused on the question of Monsanto’s legal responsibility, and what damages if any should be awarded. Hardeman claimed that Roundup’s design was defective, that the product lacked sufficient warning of potential risks and that Monsanto had been negligent in not warning about risks.
In response to Wednesday’s verdict, Bayer, the parent company of Monsanto, said it would appeal the verdict.
“We are disappointed with the jury’s decision, but this verdict does not change the weight of over four decades of extensive science and the conclusions of regulators worldwide that support the safety of our glyphosate-based herbicides and that they are not carcinogenic. The verdict in this trial has no impact on future cases and trials, as each one has its own factual and legal circumstances.”
“We have great sympathy for Mr. Hardeman and his family. Bayer stands behind these products and will vigorously defend them,” the company said in its statement.
Hardeman’s lawyers said they were pleased with the jury’s decision.
“We are excited that after three long years of litigation, Mr. Hardeman finally has a resolution, and that the jury has held Monsanto accountable for its bad conduct of manipulation and deception,” his lawyer, Aimee Wagstaff, told CNN.
In a statement, Hardeman’s attorneys criticized Monsanto.
“It is clear from Monsanto’s actions that it does not care whether Roundup causes cancer, focusing instead on manipulating public opinion and undermining anyone who raises genuine and legitimate concerns about Roundup,” the statement said.
Hardeman’s case against Monsanto is the first to be tried in federal court. About 11,000 similar cases are still pending at the federal or state level. The plaintiffs are suing Monsanto, claiming the product gave them non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Although Bayer said Wednesday’s verdict will not impact future cases, Carl Tobias, a law professor a