The Bayer subsidiary, Monsanto has once again suffered a defeat in the legal dispute to the glyphosate-containing weed killer Roundup. A Jury in Oakland, California sentenced the company on Monday to a billion penalty. Monsanto must pay, therefore, to 2.05 billion dollars (1.8 billion euros) to the couple Alva and Alberta Pilliod, both of which are over 70 years old, and lymphatic glands cancer. You make the decades-long use of the Weed shredder is responsible. Her lawyers had claimed more than a billion dollars in punitive damages.
this is the third process in which a court found against the argument from Monsanto. The parent group Bayer revealed in a statement after the decision of the Jury “disappointed”. The verdict was in direct contradiction to the assessment of the U.S. environmental protection Agency, EPA, says the company. Roundup will be used “for more than 40 years worldwide, safely and successfully.” The group announced a further right of appeal.
lawyers for the plaintiffs speak of the “historical” sentence
lawyers for The plaintiffs argued against a “historical” penalties. According to the lawyer, Brent Wisner, the Jury was able to view the company’s internal documents, which show that Monsanto “never had any interest in figuring out whether or not Roundup is safe”. Overall, the company had the plaintiffs ‘ lawyers, according to even more than two billion dollars in damages to the plaintiffs to pay, in Addition, a further $ 55 million (49 million euros) would continue to compensation payments due, the lawyers.
the two processes previously, the group was already condemned to a total of more than $ 160 million. In March, a Jury in San Francisco a man of $ 80 million. In August, a Jury convicted Monsanto to make a payment of $ 289 million. A judge has lowered the sum then to 89 million dollars. Bayer appealed in both cases to appeal. Because of the product Roundup, the group sees in the United States, according to their own information, in the meantime, with around 13,400 face lawsuits.
shareholders with Bayer harshly
Bayer Monsanto bought last year for around 56 billion euros. Given the massive share price losses since the Takeover, the leadership of the group has to get to the annual General meeting at the end of April the pressure of the shareholders. The Board of Directors do not relieved. The Supervisory Board was the vote of confidence to this, however, unusually scarce. Important investors will want to give Management a second Chance. They warn of a premature change, as they fear that would increase the Chaos in the case of Bayer only.
The allegations against glyphosate has rejected Bayer always and refers to the fact that admission authorities rated in the world, the herbicide when used properly as safe. Recently, the U.S. environmental protection Agency, EPA, had not confirmed its assessment that glyphosate is carcinogenic. The plaintiffs see otherwise. They rely on the international cancer research Agency, IARC had classified the drug as a “likely carcinogen.”
