A jury in the U.S. state of Georgia has ordered Bayer to pay around $2.1 billion to a plaintiff who alleged that the company’s Roundup weed killer caused his cancer, according to the plaintiff’s law firms on Friday. Bayer plans to appeal the verdict, which is one of the largest legal settlements in a Roundup-related case and marks a significant setback for the company, a major player in the seeds and pesticides industry. Bayer has already paid approximately $10 billion to settle disputed claims linking Roundup, containing the herbicide glyphosate, to cancer, and faces over 60,000 pending cases for which it has set aside $5.9 billion in legal provisions. The Georgia verdict comprises $65 million in compensatory damages and $2 billion in punitive damages. Bayer stated that it disagrees with the jury’s decision, citing scientific evidence and regulatory consensus worldwide. The company intends to appeal the verdict in hopes of overturning or reducing the damages. In a recent development, Bayer indicated to U.S. lawmakers that it might discontinue Roundup sales unless legal protections against product liability litigation were strengthened.
