Chemical giant Bayer and lawyers representing cancer patients have unveiled a massive $7.25 billion proposed settlement on Tuesday aimed at ending thousands of lawsuits across the United States that claim the company didn’t adequately warn consumers that its widely-used Roundup herbicide may lead to cancer.
This settlement announcement arrives as the nation’s highest court gets ready to consider arguments regarding Bayer’s position that federal Environmental Protection Agency clearance of Roundup without cancer warnings should nullify lawsuits brought in state courts. The upcoming Supreme Court case won’t be impacted by this proposed agreement.
However, the financial deal would reduce potential risks from a future Supreme Court decision that remains unpredictable — benefiting both the chemical company and patients pursuing compensation.
The German-owned corporation, which bought Monsanto and its Roundup brand in 2018, continues to reject claims that glyphosate, the herbicide’s main component, leads to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Nevertheless, Bayer has expressed concern that escalating litigation expenses are jeopardizing its capacity to keep marketing the product to American farmers.
“Litigation uncertainly has plagued the company for years, and this settlement gives the company a road to closure,” Bayer CEO Bill Anderson said Tuesday.
Attorneys submitted the proposed agreement in St. Louis Circuit Court in Missouri, which houses Bayer’s North American crop science operations and serves as the location where numerous lawsuits have been filed. Court approval is still required for the settlement to move forward.
