The Supreme Court sided with Bayer, the maker of Roundup weedkiller, in a ruling that blocks thousands of lawsuits alleging the product causes cancer. The decision is a victory for the Trump administration, which argued in support of Bayer. The high court, in a 7-2 ruling, held that Roundup cannot be sued in state courts for failure to warn because federal regulators have found a cancer link unlikely and do not require a warning label.
Background
The case came before the justices after a tidal wave of litigation that included some multibillion-dollar verdicts against Bayer. The company had acquired Roundup’s original producer, Monsanto, in 2018. The decision is expected to affect similar health claims against other pesticide products.
Bayer CEO Bill Anderson said the ruling provides the regulatory clarity necessary for innovators like Bayer to develop agricultural tools that guarantee an affordable food supply. The company plans to proceed with a proposed $7.25 billion class-action settlement intended to resolve many of the remaining claims.
Reaction
Environmental groups and lawyers representing people who believe they were harmed by Roundup denounced the ruling. Attorney Christopher Seeger said the Supreme Court ruling wrongly slams the courthouse door on Americans sickened by pesticides. Jay Feldman, executive director of Beyond Pesticides, called the decision a tragic setback for public and environmental health.
The case before the Supreme Court was filed by Missouri resident John Durnell, who developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after using Roundup for over 20 years. A jury agreed that the company failed to warn him about possible cancer dangers and awarded him $1.25 million. However, Durnell never received the money as his case was appealed.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
