| Developers: | Bayer AG |
| Branches: | Agriculture and Fisheries, Pharmaceuticals, Medicine, Health |
2024
American sued $78 million from Bayer for developing cancer due to herbicide
On October 10, 2024, it became known that in accordance with the decision of the jury, Bayer was obliged to pay $78 million to a man from Pennsylvania in connection with the development of his malignant formation due to the use of the Roundup herbicide. The victim was William Melissen, who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Read more here.
New cancer claim after contact with herbicide. Bayer will pay $2.25 billion
On January 26, 2024, a jury in Philadelphia ordered the German company Bayer AG to pay $2.25 billion in a lawsuit related to sales of the Roundup herbicide, which is said to provoke the development of malignancies. The initiator of the proceedings was American John McKivison, who lives in Pennsylvania.
According to the case file, McKeavison was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This is a group of lesions of the lymphatic system: such oncological diseases differ in the degree of malignancy, the rate of development of the tumor process and the existing symptoms. It was established that the tumor developed in McKeavison as a result of using Roundup to control weeds in the courtyard of his house for several years.
According to the verdict, Bayer is obliged to pay $250 million in damages and $2 billion in punitive damages. The company itself does not agree with the court order. Bayer claims Roundup is safe for health, as evidenced by a "large body of scientific evidence." The company intends to appeal to overturn the ruling or reduce the amount of payments.
In the United States, about 165 thousand lawsuits have been filed against Bayer related to Roundup, which the company acquired as part of the purchase of the American agrochemical firm Monsanto for $63 billion in 2018. Most plaintiffs claim the product provoked them to develop cancers, including non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Bayer emphasizes that for a number of earlier verdicts issued in favor of the plaintiffs, the established amount of compensation was subsequently reduced by more than 90%. In addition, the company won in some such proceedings. Bayer says "decades of research" speak to Roundup's safety for humans.[1]
2023
Bayer will pay another $1.5 billion for the development of cancer in companies in contact with the herbicide
On November 17, 2023, a Cole County jury in Missouri fined Bayer AG more than $1.5 billion. The verdict comes as part of proceedings related to the Roundup herbicide, which is said to cause serious harm to people's health and can provoke the development of malignancies.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of three clients of the American company Monsanto, which Bayer bought out in 2018. Valorie Gunther of New York, Jimmy Draeger of Missouri and Daniel Anderson of California claim that the use of Roundup, a weed control agent, caused them to develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a group of tumors originating from undifferentiated cells in the lymphatic system. The plaintiffs note that for years they used Roundup on their lawns and in gardens, unaware of the harm this herbicide can cause.
In accordance with the court decision, Gunter, Dreger and Anderson will receive a total of $61.1 million in compensation for moral and physical damage. In addition, each of them was awarded $500 million in penalties against Monsanto. Dreger's wife Brenda will additionally receive $100,000 in compensation for the harm she allegedly suffered due to her husband's illness.
Bayer, in turn, says it has a strong case to overturn this and other similar rulings on appeal. The company argues that American courts allowed Roundup consumers to misinterpret the European Union Environmental Protection Agency's norms and safety assessment, USA which led to a number of plaintiffs' victories. In total, about 165 thousand health claims have been filed against Bayer in connection with the use of Roundup.[2]
Bayer will pay $175 million for the development of cancer in people who have come into contact with weed remedies
On October 27, 2023, a jury in Philadelphia ruled that the German chemical concern Bayer was responsible for the development of malignant tumors in people who had contact with herbicides of its production. We are talking about the Roundup tool, which is designed to combat weeds.
The proceedings were initiated by Ernest Caranci, the owner of a restaurant in Pennsylvania. According to the plaintiff's statements, the use of Roundup in his garden for several years provoked him to develop non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This is a group of malignancies originating from undifferentiated cells of the lymphatic system. Most often, one of the lymph nodes is affected and then the disease spreads throughout the body.
According to the court order, Bayer is obliged to pay Karanchi $25 million in compensation for damage caused to health. In addition, the company was fined $150 million. Thus, the total amount of payments is $175 million.
Bayer said it disagreed with the jury's finding of responsibility. The company believes that it will be able to achieve the cancellation of "this unreasonable verdict" or reduce the amount of compensation. As part of the proceedings, Bayer intends to appeal.
Lawsuits related to Roundup have plagued Bayer since it acquired the brand as part of a $63 billion purchase of agricultural seed and pesticide maker Monsanto in 2018. Thousands of lawsuits have been filed against Bayer over Roundup's carcinogenic effects on people. At the same time, the company itself categorically denies that this drug provokes the development of malignant formations. The German conglomerate said "decades of research" had shown Roundup and its active ingredient, glyphosate, were safe for human use.[3]
2022: Bayer to pay another $87 million to sell cancer-causing weed products
On June 27, 2022, it became known that the US Supreme Court upheld the decision to recover $87 million from Bayer, rejecting for the second time the company's lawsuit, which is trying to defend itself against numerous lawsuits that its chemical product Roundup, which is the best-selling weed product, causes cancer.
The judges, making no comment, upheld the jury's decision in favor of Alva and Alberta Pilliod in the California case. The company claims that federal law impedes the consideration of the claim and that the amount of penalties in the amount of $70 million is so large that it violates the Constitution.
Earlier in the second half of June 2022, the court rejected Bayer's first appeal in a case the company had tried to use to nullify potential claims. According to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Holly Froome, the company's possible liabilities could amount to $16 billion, which it has reserved to settle the lawsuit.
Bayer said in a statement that the company respectfully disagreed with the court's decision but was not surprised. The company also predicted that there would likely be cases in the future, including the Roundup case, that would raise questions of preemption before the U.S. Supreme Court, similar to the Pilliod case, and could also create a rift in the district and potentially change the legal environment.
In June 2022, a federal appeals court ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to once again consider whether glyphosate - the active ingredient in Roundup - is a carcinogen. Studies have shown his association with some cancers.
{{quote 'The German chemical giant said it is fully prepared to manage the legal risks associated with potential future US claims, previously reported in July 2021, including a consumer claims program, as well as replacing active ingredients for glyphosate-based products in the US. }} Bayer inherited legal confusion in 2018 when it acquired Monsanto, the herbicide maker. Bayer has won four of seven Roundup trials, with all losses occurring in California courts.[4]
2020: Bayer to pay $10bn to sell cancer-causing drug
On June 25, 2020, Bayer announced that the company would pay compensation in the amount of $10.1-10.9 billion in proceedings regarding the carcinogenic herbicide Roundup.
The agreement, which was concluded by the German pharmaceutical giant with the plaintiffs, covers 75% of about 125 thousand lawsuits against this product, which, according to users, leads to the development of cancer.
Bayer will reserve from $8.8 billion to $9.6 billion to settle claims made by lawyers of about 95 thousand plaintiffs, as well as about 30 thousand more claims, agreements on which have not yet been reached. Another $1.25 billion will be reserved to settle potential future claims.
At the same time, by June 25, 2020, Bayer remains of the opinion that glyphosate, the active component contained in Roundup, is safe and does not cause cancer. Bayer has not admitted to any wrongdoing and will continue to sell Roundup.
According to Reuters, the company will order a review of glyphosate safety by scientific experts, which could take more than four years. In the event that experts admit that the substance does not cause cancer, consumers will not be able to further file lawsuits.
In addition, under another agreement, Bayer will pay compensation totaling $400 million in claims against dicamba herbicide. Earlier in 2020, a Missouri federal court ruled that the manufacturers of this herbicide - Bayer and BASF - must pay a fine and compensation of $265 million, since this herbicide, used to protect grain and cotton from pests, easily spreads to neighboring fields and gardens, harming them. Bayer reported on June 24, 2020 that the company expects BASF to pay part of the compensation for dicamba herbicide claims.[5]
2019: Bayer to pay record $2bn to married couple with cancer due to Roundup
In mid-May 2019, the court ordered Bayer AG to pay more than $2 billion to a California couple who claimed that they had developed cancer due to constant contact with the Roundup herbicide. It is the largest amount set by a court for damages in 2019 and the eighth highest on record for product defect payments.
Initially, the spouses Elva and Alberta Pilliod (Alva and Alberta Pilliod) filed a lawsuit against the American company Monsanto, which produced the herbicide Roundup. The couple stated that due to 30 years of using the drug, they developed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Bayer bought Monsanto in 2018 for $63 billion. According to the court's decision, Bayer must pay Pilliods $55 million, reimbursing expenses for treatment, as well as incur penalties in the amount of $2 billion.
The jury accused Bayer of negligence - in their opinion, the company should have warned consumers that glyphosate-containing products could be dangerous to health. Bayer denies all allegations and claims Roundup herbicide is safe to use, corroborating its case with data from various studies. However, scientists differ in assessing the safety of glyphosate.
This is not the first trial over a Roundup facility containing glyphosate - it is the third time the jury has decided the case in favor of the plaintiffs. In March 2019, a San Francisco federal court ruled that constant contact with Roundup was one of the main reasons for the plaintiff's cancer and imposed a fine of $80 million, and in October 2018 the company was fined $39 million. In total, about 13 thousand similar lawsuits have already been filed in the United States, which threatens Bayer with large financial losses.[6]
In May 2019, a new scandal erupted around Monsanto. The French media found out that the manufacturer Roundup compiled a dossier on politicians and public figures, based on their opinion on glyphosate, GMOs and pesticides.
2018: Bayer to pay $289m to gardener who received deadly disease from herbicide
In August 2018, a jury in a California court ordered Bayer to pay $289 million to gardener Diouen Johnson, who developed a deadly disease due to the use of the dangerous herbicide Roundup (also known as glyphosate) manufactured by Monsanto, which was previously acquired by a German concern for $62.5 billion.
According to the prosecution, glyphosate, used to control weeds in agriculture, can cause cancer. Monsanto rejects these claims, saying that numerous expert studies do not confirm the dangers of glyphosate to human health.
In this lawsuit, Monsanto presented expert data on the non-carcinogenicity of the herbicide and explained that lymphoma develops in humans for a long time and it arose in Johnson's body even before he began working with glyphosate. In response, the plaintiff's lawyer repeated several times that "Monsanto harassed independent scientists," because some studies have found a connection between the spread of glyphosate and cancer.
At the same time, according to the classification of the World Health Organization (WHO), glyphosate belongs to the category "possibly carcinogenic, class 2A" and is not prohibited. As a result, between some scientific data and others, the jury chose those that better corresponded to their feeling of pity for the plaintiff.
Germany In 2018, a law is expected to ban the use of glyphosate in private gardens, gardens, parks and stadiums. In the future, it is planned to introduce restrictions on the use of glyphosate in agriculture. In 2017, the government Belgium already banned it from its gardeners, and two years earlier glyphosate spraying in public was stopped in Portugal. President France Macron promised to impose a ban on him by 2020-2021[7]
Notes
- ↑ Bayer ordered to pay $2.25 billion in latest Roundup trial
- ↑ Bayer ordered to pay $1.56 billion in latest US trial loss over Roundup weedkiller
- ↑ Bayer ordered to pay $175 million in latest Roundup cancer trial
- ↑ Bayer Loses Again as US Supreme Court Allows $87 Million Roundup Award
- ↑ Bayer announces agreements to resolve major legacy Monsanto litigation
- ↑ Bayer's $2 Billion Roundup Damages Boost Pressure to Settle
- ↑ Bayer Has a $289 Million Roundup Headache
| The site content is translated by machine translation software powered by PROMT. The machine-translated articles are not always perfect and may contain errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. Read original article If you find inaccuracies or errors in the results of machine translation, please write to editor@tadviser.ru. We will make every effort to correct them as soon as possible. |