A US jury has awarded a man about $2.1 billion in compensation and damages after claiming the weedkiller Roundup caused his cancer. Bayer, the maker of Roundup, said it disagrees with the verdict and plans to appeal.
The company faces over 60,000 further cases related to its active ingredient glyphosate, which is also used in other products despite some consumer versions no longer containing it.
Bayer has paid about $10 billion to settle claims that glyphosate causes cancer. However, the company maintains that the chemical is safe when used properly and denies causing cancer.
The decision marks one of the largest legal settlements against Bayer’s Roundup product. The verdict includes compensatory damages of $65 million and punitive damages of $2 billion.
Bayer has set aside $5.9 billion for potential cases, while environmental groups argue that glyphosate is harmful to wildlife and kills beneficial organisms in the soil.
The EU Commission has renewed glyphosate’s licence for use in the EU until December 2033, but some experts remain divided on the chemical’s carcinogenic properties.
Source: https://news.sky.com/story/man-who-claimed-weedkiller-caused-cancer-gets-2-1bn-payout-13333847