$2 Billion Awarded to Couple in Monsanto Case
Earlier this month, a jury in the city of Oakland, California, decided against Monsanto and its new German pharmaceutical parent company, Bayer, in a case brought against them by a couple suffering from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The two plaintiffs, both in their 70s, are residents of Livermore, a town that is about 40 miles away from San Francisco.
Like many people throughout America, these two individuals began to use Roundup 30 years ago as a part of their yard maintenance program. It was not until 2011 that the detrimental effects of this prolonged exposure began to manifest itself. First one, then the other in the couple were diagnosed as suffering from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The cancer affected their bones, their spines, and their brains. Thankfully, they have reported that the cancer within each of them is in remission; however, it is not surprising that they live with the lingering effects of such a vicious disease.
The verdict against Monsanto and Bayer is a landmark one. In addition to being one of the first concluded trials involving Monsanto that ended with a positive ruling for the individuals against the enormous corporation, the Livermore couple were also awarded the single largest settlement so far demanded from the company. After the judge allowed information in the courtroom pertaining to Monsanto’s continued suppression of information around the dangers of their products (something that has hampered other trials around this same issue), the jury decided to award each of the individuals $1 billion in damages. On top of this, the jury decided that the corporation also owed the couple more than $55 million in compensatory damages.
The Bayer company issued a predictable statement saying that they were disappointed in the decision and that they plan to appeal, but this first verdict is nevertheless a huge step towards justice being brought forward for those whose lives have been irrevocably altered – or, as in many cases, simply extinguished – by the profit-crazed practices of Monsanto and Bayer. Particularly, this verdict will give hope to the more than 13,400 other cases relating to Roundup and cancer that are currently working their way courts in both state and federal circuits.
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James O. Cunningham
Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.