Update:
- A federal judge in Washington reduced an $857 million judgment against Monsanto to $438 million.
- In December, jurors awarded the original amount to a group of seven women claiming polychlorinated biphenyls sold by Monsanto spinoff company Pharmacia LLC and used at Sky Valley Education Center near Seattle sickened them.
- The decision to slash the judgment came after Pharmacia argued the decision to award $112 million in punitive damages was “arbitrary and excessive,” Law360 reports.
- Monsanto also argued it would be unfair to be punished multiple times for harm inflicted at a single school.
- Nine cases involving Monsanto and the Sky Valley Education Center have gone to trial so far, according to Law360.
Monsanto trial verdict overview:
- Who: A jury in Seattle has awarded a group of seven women an $875 million judgment against Monsanto spin off company Pharmacia LLC.
- Why: The jury found Pharmacia sold polychlorinated biphenyls that were used at Sky Valley Education Center in a Seattle suburb without providing adequate warning about the dangers of them.
- Where: The trial was held in King County Superior Court.
(Dec. 22, 2023)
A group of seven women who argued they suffered adverse health effects from polychlorinated biphenyls sold by Monsanto spin off company Pharmacia LLC and used at a Washington school were awarded $857 million by a jury in Seattle on Monday.
Pharmacia has now been ordered to pay a total of $1.74 billion to resolve claims it sold PCBs that were used in fluorescent light ballasts and other building materials at Sky Valley Education Center in Monroe, Wash., reports Law360.
The women in this case reportedly argued they suffered health issues such as brain injuries and breathing problems, among other things, on account of PCBs they claimed were leaking out of the fluorescent light ballasts and other building materials at the homeschool education center.
The jury, meanwhile, determined Pharmacia sold the PCBs without providing adequate warning to commercial and industrial purchasers who have for decades been using the chemicals in light fixtures and other consumer goods, reports Law360.
Monsanto spinoff Pharmacia LLC ordered to pay $784 million in punitive damages, $73 million in compensatory damages
The $857 million award reportedly includes $784 million in punitive damages and a total of $73 million in compensatory damages for the group of seven women, who were led by a mother and her two daughters.
An elevated rate of PCBs were discovered at Sky Valley by a local public health agency in 2016, while the latest verdict puts an end to the ninth trial involving claims revolving around the school, reports Law360.
Monsanto, which has reportedly agreed to defend Pharmacia in litigation, argued in this case that, among other things, the injuries suffered by the group of women could be traced back to pre-existing health conditions.
The group of women, meanwhile, argued that their exposure to PCBs did in fact worsen some pre-existing health conditions but also created new ones, while claiming Monsanto was aware of the dangers of PCBs but failed to do anything about it, reports Law360.
In another case, Pharmacia was ordered last month to pay $165 million to a group of former Sky Valley employees who argued the company failed to provide adequate warning about PCBs it sold.
Have you suffered adverse health effects after being exposed to Monsanto PCBs? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiffs are represented by Michael S. Wampold and Felix G. Luna of PWRFL and Theresa Bowen Hatch and Keith J. Bruno of TL4J.
The Monsanto injuries lawsuit is Bard, et al. v. Pharmacia LLC, Case No. 21-2-14305-5, in King County Superior Court.
Don’t Miss Out!
Check out our list of Class Action Lawsuits and Class Action Settlements you may qualify to join!
Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:
Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Subaru vehicle data collection class action lawsuit investigation
May 17, 2024 | Legal News
