A Missouri judge is set to evaluate Monsanto’s proposed $7.25 billion settlement aimed at resolving tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging that its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: A Missouri circuit judge is set to review Bayer-owned Monsanto’s proposed $7.25 billion settlement aimed at resolving tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging that its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer. Judge Timothy Boyer of St. Louis is not expected to issue an immediate ruling, but will consider arguments from Monsanto and attorneys representing plaintiffs who object to the agreement. 📺 DETAIL: The settlement, which received preliminary approval in March, is designed to resolve nearly all of the roughly 65,000 Roundup claims pending in state and federal courts, as well as future claims. Under the proposal, people diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after occupational exposure could receive between $60,000 and $165,000, while residential claimants could receive between $20,000 and $40,000, depending on factors including age, cancer severity, and exposure history. The settlement comes after the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in June that federal pesticide law preempted a Missouri state labeling requirement in a case involving a Roundup user, rejecting the legal basis for a $1.25 million verdict against Monsanto. Bayer previously paid about $10 billion to settle Roundup claims in 2020, but the company has continued to face thousands of additional lawsuits. The Roundup dispute has also fueled controversy over glyphosate, which the World Health Organization’s cancer research agency classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans” in 2015, while the EPA has continued to approve its use. The issue has created tensions within the Trump administration and Republican coalition, with President Donald J. Trump supporting continued glyphosate production for agricultural and national-security reasons, while Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said previously that glyphosate causes cancer and that exposure should be minimized. 🎯 IMPACT: The settlement could achieve a major reduction in Bayer’s long-running legal exposure from Roundup lawsuits, while providing compensation to tens of thousands of people who allege the weedkiller caused their cancer. |
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