Containers of Roundup are displayed on a store shelf in San Francisco. (Photo: Haven Daley/AP)
'Historic' Verdict as Jury Orders Monsanto to Pay Record $2 Billion to Couple in Roundup Cancer Trial
"We've been fighting cancer for nine years. It was caused by Roundup. We can't do the things we used to do and we really resent Monsanto for that."
A California jury ruled Monday that Monsanto must pay a record $2 billion in damages to a couple that was diagnosed with cancer after using the company's weedkiller Roundup.
"We were finally allowed to show a jury the mountain of evidence showing Monsanto's manipulation of science, the media, and regulatory agencies to forward their own agenda despite Roundup's severe harm to the animal kingdom and humankind," said Michael Miller, an attorney for Alva and Alberta Pilliod.
The jury ruled that Monsanto--which was acquired by the German pharmaceutical giant Bayer last year--is liable for the Pilliods' non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), the third such ruling in less than a year.
"We've been fighting cancer for nine years. It was caused by Roundup. We can't do the things we used to do and we really resent Monsanto for that," Alberta Pilliod said at a press conference following the verdict.
\u201cBREAKING: #Monsanto hit with historic $2.055 billion verdict losing third #roundup trial\n\nhttps://t.co/01lcTT1Lmb\u201d— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@Robert F. Kennedy Jr) 1557784120
\u201cHaving worked on this issue for several years, I'm going to say this again: STOP USING ROUNDUP BY MONSANTO.\u201d— Ted Lieu (@Ted Lieu) 1557799872
As The Guardian reported, the "latest verdict is the largest by far and will increase pressure on Bayer, which has suffered share price drops in the wake of the verdicts and is now facing similar lawsuits from thousands of cancer patients, survivors and families who lost loved ones to NHL."
Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch, said in a statement that the California jury's decision "shows that there's more than enough evidence that Roundup is an environmental and public health nightmare."
"But rather than act on this body of evidence," Hauter said, "the EPA continues to side with the chemical industry and recently announced it will continue to allow glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, to be sold. It's time to ban this dangerous herbicide."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. The final deadline for our crucial Summer Campaign fundraising drive is just days away, and we’re falling short of our must-hit goal. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
A California jury ruled Monday that Monsanto must pay a record $2 billion in damages to a couple that was diagnosed with cancer after using the company's weedkiller Roundup.
"We were finally allowed to show a jury the mountain of evidence showing Monsanto's manipulation of science, the media, and regulatory agencies to forward their own agenda despite Roundup's severe harm to the animal kingdom and humankind," said Michael Miller, an attorney for Alva and Alberta Pilliod.
The jury ruled that Monsanto--which was acquired by the German pharmaceutical giant Bayer last year--is liable for the Pilliods' non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), the third such ruling in less than a year.
"We've been fighting cancer for nine years. It was caused by Roundup. We can't do the things we used to do and we really resent Monsanto for that," Alberta Pilliod said at a press conference following the verdict.
\u201cBREAKING: #Monsanto hit with historic $2.055 billion verdict losing third #roundup trial\n\nhttps://t.co/01lcTT1Lmb\u201d— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@Robert F. Kennedy Jr) 1557784120
\u201cHaving worked on this issue for several years, I'm going to say this again: STOP USING ROUNDUP BY MONSANTO.\u201d— Ted Lieu (@Ted Lieu) 1557799872
As The Guardian reported, the "latest verdict is the largest by far and will increase pressure on Bayer, which has suffered share price drops in the wake of the verdicts and is now facing similar lawsuits from thousands of cancer patients, survivors and families who lost loved ones to NHL."
Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch, said in a statement that the California jury's decision "shows that there's more than enough evidence that Roundup is an environmental and public health nightmare."
"But rather than act on this body of evidence," Hauter said, "the EPA continues to side with the chemical industry and recently announced it will continue to allow glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, to be sold. It's time to ban this dangerous herbicide."
A California jury ruled Monday that Monsanto must pay a record $2 billion in damages to a couple that was diagnosed with cancer after using the company's weedkiller Roundup.
"We were finally allowed to show a jury the mountain of evidence showing Monsanto's manipulation of science, the media, and regulatory agencies to forward their own agenda despite Roundup's severe harm to the animal kingdom and humankind," said Michael Miller, an attorney for Alva and Alberta Pilliod.
The jury ruled that Monsanto--which was acquired by the German pharmaceutical giant Bayer last year--is liable for the Pilliods' non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), the third such ruling in less than a year.
"We've been fighting cancer for nine years. It was caused by Roundup. We can't do the things we used to do and we really resent Monsanto for that," Alberta Pilliod said at a press conference following the verdict.
\u201cBREAKING: #Monsanto hit with historic $2.055 billion verdict losing third #roundup trial\n\nhttps://t.co/01lcTT1Lmb\u201d— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@Robert F. Kennedy Jr) 1557784120
\u201cHaving worked on this issue for several years, I'm going to say this again: STOP USING ROUNDUP BY MONSANTO.\u201d— Ted Lieu (@Ted Lieu) 1557799872
As The Guardian reported, the "latest verdict is the largest by far and will increase pressure on Bayer, which has suffered share price drops in the wake of the verdicts and is now facing similar lawsuits from thousands of cancer patients, survivors and families who lost loved ones to NHL."
Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch, said in a statement that the California jury's decision "shows that there's more than enough evidence that Roundup is an environmental and public health nightmare."
"But rather than act on this body of evidence," Hauter said, "the EPA continues to side with the chemical industry and recently announced it will continue to allow glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, to be sold. It's time to ban this dangerous herbicide."