Bayer on Monday lost an appeal challenging the outcome of the first case to go to trial in the US over the company's weedkiller Roundup, though the court reduced the punitive damages awarded to the plaintiff.

The case before the California Court of Appeals concerned Dewayne "Lee" Johnson, a school groundskeeper and heavy user of Roundup who sued Monsanto -- a subsidiary of Bayer -- in a landmark case after contracting terminal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

A jury in 2018 found that the herbicide substantially contributed to Johnson's illness and awarded him nearly $40 million in compensatory damages and $250 million in punitive damages that were later reduced to $78.5 million.

The ruling sent Bayer share prices tumbling at the time and was followed by a wave of lawsuits that have weighed on the company since it bought the US firm Monsanto in 2018.

Under Monday's ruling, the court denied Monsanto's motion for a new trial on condition that Johnson accept a settlement of $10.2 million in compensatory damages and the same amount in punitive damages.

"Although we have concluded that a reduction in the damages awarded is appropriate, we do not otherwise reverse the judgement," the three-judge panel said, affirming Monsanto's liability in the case.

"In our view, Johnson presented abundant -- and certainly substantial -- evidence that glyphosate, together with the other ingredients in Roundup products, caused his cancer," the judges said in their ruling. "Expert after expert provided evidence both that Roundup products are capable of causing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and caused Johnson's cancer in particular."

Bayer said in a statement that the ruling is a "step in the right direction."

"We nevertheless still believe that the jury ruling and the indemnity payments are not compatible with the presented evidence and the existing laws," the company said.

"Monsanto will examine its legal options, including an appeal to the Supreme Court of California," Bayer added in the statement.

The company last month said it would pay more than $10 billion to end a wave of lawsuits related to Roundup that have sent jitters among shareholders.

Bayer, which is not admitting any wrongdoing as part of the $10 billion-plus settlement package, maintains that scientific studies and regulatory approvals show Roundup's main ingredient glyphosate is safe.

But other research has found that glyphosate can cause cancer.

jz/to

Bayer

Monsanto

Related Links
Farming Today - Suppliers and Technology

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

G20 carbon 'food-print' highest in meat-loving nations: report
Paris (AFP) July 16, 2020
If everyone ate steaks and dairy the way Brazilians and Americans do, we would need an extra five planets to feed the world, according to the first report to compare the carbon emissions from food consumption in G20 nations, released Thursday. Among the world's top economies, only the per capita carbon "food-prints" in India and Indonesia are low enough to ensure the Paris climate target of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius, according to the Diet for a Better Future report. In China, ... read more