On December 5, Roundup litigation plaintiffs won their fifth consecutive victory against Monsanto, manufacturer of the weed killer Roundup, and its parent company, Bayer AG. In the second case to go to trial in the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia, the jury found that Monsanto and chemical manufacturer, Nouryon Surface Chemistry, were liable for the $3.5 million verdict, assessing 92.5% of the liability against Monsanto and 7.5% against Nouryon, the latter having manufactured a chemical component that plaintiffs claim makes Roundup more dangerous by increasing the product’s carcinogenic nature. Compensatory damages of $462,000 and punitive damages of $3 million were awarded to plaintiff Kelly Martel who alleged that her non-Hodgkin lymphoma was caused by using Roundup for approximately 15 years. The punitive damages were assessed against Monsanto only.
Monsanto continues to maintain that Roundup is safe with no causal links to cancer. The company has indicated it may appeal the verdict, having already moved for a mistrial near the end of the case and filing motions for a directed verdict, stating that the Roundup litigation plaintiffs had failed to prove Martel’s cancer was caused by Roundup exposure.
There is another trial against Monsanto ready to go in Philadelphia in January.
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