A federal jury in California has found that Monsanto's weed killer brand Roundup was partly to blame for causing the plaintiff's cancer. Monsanto, which was held liable for what its product had caused, was asked by the court to pay Edwin Hardeman over US$80 million in damages. The San Francisco court awarded US$75 million in punitive damages and US$5.27 million in compensatory damages to the plaintiff.
Hardeman's lawyers showed the jury in the first phase of the trial how Monsanto's product had been a substantial factor in causing their client's non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL). The type of cancer directly involves a person's white blood cells, which are part of the human body's immune system. During the second phase of the trial, Monsanto's lack of legal responsibility was brought to light. Hardeman had claimed that Monsanto's product had lacked sufficient warning labels to inform users of its potential risks.
The case is the first of over 11,000 similar cases that have now gone to trial in federal court. All of the other cases against Monsanto are still pending in the federal and state levels. The plaintiffs in the other cases have also allegedly gotten non-Hodgkin Lymphoma from using Monsanto weed killing product. One of the cases last year had gone to state trial, but that was because the plaintiff was apparently dying, which is why it was granted an expedited trial. A state jury had awarded a former school groundskeeper US$78 million in damages as doctors testified on how using Monsanto's product had directly played a part in their patient getting cancer.
In response to the verdict, Monsanto's parent company, Bayer, had released a statement revealing their plans to appeal the verdict. According to the company, they were somewhat disappointed by the decision. Bayer apparently stands by the years of extensive research and studies they had spent before releasing the product. The company also reiterated that they had the support of regulators from around the world which had cleared their glyphosate-based herbicides as a non-carcinogenic product. Bayer also sent their sympathies to the plaintiff and his family but stated that they still stand by their product.
Meanwhile, Hardeman's lawyers had told the press that they were happy about the jury's decision given the length of the case. One of Hardeman's lawyers, Aimee Wagstaff, told the media that they were glad that their client can finally have resolution and that Monsanto will now finally be held accountable for their deception. Wagstaff added that Monsanto had to be taught a lesson for trying to manipulate public opinion and for trying to downplay the harmful effects of its products.
