Three Oklahomans whose lawsuits against the maker of Roundup weed killer were transferred to California two years ago got more reassuring news this week when a jury awarded a man suffering from cancer $80 million in damages.
As OK Energy Today has reported, at least three Oklahomans suffering from cancer also blame Roundup for the disease. Our most recent story was March 21.
This week, a jury that found Roundup was a substantial factor in a California man’s cancer awarded him the millions in damages.
Here’s how US Today reported the story:
The six-person jury in San Francisco returned its verdict in favor of Edwin Hardeman, 70, who said he used Roundup products to treat poison oak, overgrowth and weeds on his property for years.
Agribusiness giant Monsanto, which was purchased by German giant Bayer last June, is facing thousands of similar lawsuits nationwide. This case could help determine the fate of the lawsuits, Hardeman’s attorneys say.
Bayer said in a statement that it will appeal the verdict.
“The verdict in this trial has no impact on future cases and trials, as each one has its own factual and legal circumstances,” the company said in the statement.
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a branch of the World Health Organization, glyphosate, a pesticide and herbicide best known as an ingredient in Roundup, is a probable human carcinogen.
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Both Monsanto and Bayer have said studies have established that the active ingredient in its widely used weed killer is safe.
“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,” Bayer said.
A different jury in August awarded another man $289 million. A judge later slashed the award to $78 million, and Monsanto has appealed.
Hardeman’s trial may be more significant. U.S. Judge Vince Chhabria is overseeing hundreds of Roundup lawsuits and has deemed Hardeman’s case and two others “bellwether trials.”
Nathan Donley, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement to USA TODAY that the jurors “correctly held Monsanto responsible” for Hardeman’s cancer.
“And moral responsibility for any harm caused by the pesticide should be shared by the EPA regulators who ignored independent science and failed to protect Americans from this dangerous toxin,” Donley said.
Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group (EWG), said in a statement that “the testimony that informed the jury’s decision was Bayer-Monsanto hiding Roundup’s carcinogenic properties, manipulating the science and cozying-up with EPA so it would not have to warn consumers of its dangerous product.”
