A Philadelphia Common Pleas Court jury on [October 27] delivered a $175 million verdict against the maker of Roundup weed killer, finding in favor of an 83-year-old city man who alleged the herbicide gave him cancer.
The verdict for Ernest Caranci came at the end of a three-week trial over whether glyphosate, the key ingredient in Roundup, and another chemical compound are carcinogenic. The verdict includes $150 million for punitive damages.
“We are pleased that Ernie Caranci got justice today. We believe that the jury’s finding that Monsanto’s conduct was outrageous is a harbinger of things to come in the Roundup litigation nationally,” Tom Kline, of Kline & Specter PC, in Philadelphia, and Jason Itkin, of Houston-based Arnold & Itkin, co-lead counsel for the plaintiff, said in a joint statement.
Bayer, in an emailed statement, vowed to appeal.
“We respectfully disagree with the jury’s divided verdict and are confident we can get this unfounded verdict overturned and the excessive damage awards reduced through our appeal, given that there were significant and reversible legal and evidentiary errors made during this trial,” Bayer said.
“We have a winning record in the Roundup litigation — having won nine of the last 11 cases at trial — and have resolved the majority of claims filed in this litigation,” Bayer said.
