A US federal jury’s decision, in the case of man who used Roundup weedkiller for decades, could help hundreds of additional plaintiffs.
The decision in Edwin Hardeman’s case comes after an historic verdict in 2018 that Roundup caused a man’s terminal cancer.
Monsanto continues to argue that Roundup is safe to use and does not cause cancer but a federal jury in San Francisco found Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide was a substantial factor in causing the cancer of a local man - a landmark verdict.
Edwin Hardeman of Santa Rosa was the first person to challenge Monsanto’s Roundup in a federal trial and alleged that his exposure to Roundup caused him to develop non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), a cancer that affects the immune system.
The jury next will weigh liability and assess damages. Hardeman’s lawyers will present arguments about Monsanto’s influence on government regulators and on cancer research.
During the trial, the 70-year-old Santa Rosa man testified that he had sprayed the herbicide for nearly 30 years before he was diagnosed with cancer. He used the chemical to control weeds and poison oak on his properties, starting in 1986
Hardeman’s case is a vital trial for hundreds of other plaintiffs in the US, which means the verdict could affect future litigation and other cancer patients and families. Monsanto, now owned by Bayer, faces over 9,000 similar cases in the US alone.
In 2018, a California jury in a state court ruled that Roundup had caused the terminal cancer of Dewayne Johnson, a former groundsman. That jury said Monsanto failed to warn Johnson of Roundup’s health hazards and “acted with malice or oppression,” awarding Johnson $289 million in damages.
Hardeman’s trial was more limited in scope as the federal judge barred his lawyers from discussing Monsanto’s alleged influence on research and regulations during the hearings.
The judge restricted the first part of the trial to a limited discussion of Hardeman’s cancer, but then issued a rebuke to the company, saying, “Although the evidence that Roundup causes cancer is quite equivocal, there is strong evidence from which a jury could conclude that Monsanto does not particularly care whether its product is in fact giving people cancer, focusing instead on manipulating public opinion and undermining anyone who raises genuine and legitimate concerns about the issue.”
Bayer said,“We are disappointed with the jury’s initial decision, but we continue to believe firmly that the science confirms glyphosate-based herbicides do not cause cancer.We are confident the evidence in phase two will show that Monsanto’s conduct has been appropriate and the company should not be liable for Mr Hardeman’s cancer.”
Comments
Cigarettes, wine, whisky & wild women (HPV) all cause cancer. Please don't ban them all.
The USA didn't ban it when it was produced by Monsanto a USA company but now it's produced by Bayer a German company it will probably be banned there in the not to distant future.
It is "supposedly" banned for use in public access areas in Portugal, so obviously someone in authority with access to information that is probably not available to the general public has decided there are problems with this product.
However, using the same product around your house and garden and exposing your family and pets to a substance that is deemed not to be safe for use in public areas is not considered a problem.
If Portugal is on the list of countries that have banned glyphosates, i.e. Roundup, why is still being used on roadside verges and similar public access areas.
https://www.weedkillercrisis.com/topics/countries-that-ban-weedkiller-and-glyphosate/
https://algarvedailynews.com/news/12149-portugal-continues-to-use-roundup-despite-1-million-signature-petition