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Monsanto Roundup Cancer Lawsuit Overview:
- Who: An appeals court rejected a request from Monsanto, the company that makes Roundup weedkiller, to throw out an $87 million award given to a California couple who claimed Roundup gave them cancer.
- Why: The court acknowledged that while lawyers for the couple may have acted “improperly” in some cases, their actions were not enough to change the outcome of the case or warrant a new trial.
- Where: Monsanto’s attempt to have the award thrown out was heard in the Court of Appeal of the State of California, First Appellate District.
The company that makes Roundup weedkiller can’t escape an $87 million award and trial win given to a couple who claim a chemical in Roundup gave them both cancer.
On Monday, a California appeals court rejected Monsanto’s request to overturn the award to Alberta and Alva Pilliod, a couple in their 70s who alleged they both got cancer after using Roundup for more than 30 years to kill weeds on their properties.
In May 2019, a jury concluded that Roundup was “a substantial factor” in causing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the Pilliods, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
The jury originally awarded the Pilliods $2 billion in damages, but a judge later reduced the award to $87 million.
However, Monsanto appealed the $87 million award, too, saying the jury had been spooked by the Pilliods’ attorneys who acted “improperly” in court.
The agrochemical company pointed to how the lawyers said the chemical glyphosate in Roundup was “ubiquitous,” “pervasive” and “in the food,” and how they used rubber gloves to handle a Roundup bottle filled with water.
However, the appeals court sided with the earlier decision on Monday saying, while the lawyers acted “improperly” in “several instances,” Monsanto did not come close to showing that the actions impacted the outcome.
“Judge Smith was in complete control of the proceedings and the atmosphere in the courtroom was civil and respectful, although the issues were hotly contested,” they ruled.
They also addressed the size of the award given to the Pilliods, but did not change it.
“It is impossible to know just exactly what caused the jury to conclude that $1 billion was an appropriate punitive damage award for each of the plaintiffs in this appeal,” they said.
“What we do know, from the trial court’s measured discussion of the evidence and appropriate sustaining of objections and admonishment of plaintiffs’ counsel, is that the trial court’s reduced punitive damage awards were not influenced upwards by counsel’s hyperbole or objectionable or inappropriate remarks.”
American agricultural technology company Monsanto was known for being a key producer of chemical, agricultural and biochemical products until it was acquired by Bayer in 2018.
Despite the acquisition, Monsanto has been subject to numerous consumer complaints and lawsuits, after reports of dangerous products that claimants say cause diseases. The Monsanto class action lawsuit filings follow claims that Roundup weedkiller causes cancer and is hazardous to humans, and more.
Click here to learn more about the latest Monsanto class action lawsuit updates, the potential lawsuit settlement amounts, and find out about any recent Monsanto news updates to discover if there are any lawsuit settlements or class action investigations that you may be able to join.
What do you think of the award given to the Pilliods? Let us know in the comments.
The Pilliods are represented by Michael J. Miller, Jeffrey A. Travers and Curtis G. Hoke of the Miller Firm LLC, Steven J. Brady of the Brady Law Group, Mark S. Burton of Audet & Partners LLP and Pedram Esfandiary of Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman LLP.
The Monsanto Roundup Cancer Lawsuit is Pilliod et al. v. Monsanto Co., Case No. A158228, in the Court of Appeal of the State of California, First Appellate District.
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5 thoughts onMonsanto Must Pay $87M Award to Couple Who Say Roundup Gave Them Both Cancer
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My dad used roundup for 5 years before being diagnosed with non Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Then all of a sudden he had 11 weeks to live. My life will never be the same. But who’s to say what’s good or bad.