A jury ruled Tuesday (local time) in Los Angeles that a boy with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma had not been diagnosed with the use of the glyphosate insecticide Roundup.
“We have great sympathy for Ezra Clarke and his family,” Bayer said in a statement. Also, the jury’s decision reaffirms its view that glyphosate is safe when used properly. For this, the company repeatedly cites scientific studies.
While the current case should not be extrapolated, it shows that a glyphosate lawsuit against Bayer is not a sure success, a dealer commented on the latest development. The case may provide Bayer’s arguments in pending litigation negotiations.
Loss in a trial in the summer of 2018 resulted in increased glyphosate lawsuits. Bayer has had two more losses since then. Far more important than the current victory at the trial in Los Angeles is the upcoming decision of the highest US court in another case.
Because: Bayer boss Werner Baumann is relying on a Supreme Court ruling to bring about a fundamental change. To this end, Bayer filed an application to amend the Hardman case with the Supreme Court over the summer. Whether the judges accept them for judgment and subsequently judge in Bayer’s interest will have a hinted effect. The Germans originally promised to be able to end glyphset disputes.
In the event that the Supreme Court does not want to deal with the glyphosate case or decides against Bayer, the group had earmarked $4.5 billion. Bayer would then use the money to set up a program to deal with the new plaintiffs’ demands over the next 15 years. Bayer had previously set aside about $11 billion for a settlement package to settle US lawsuits. About 96,000 cases have been finally settled.
Bayer had brought home the costly legal disputes surrounding Roundup 2018 with its more than $60 billion purchase of US seed giant Monsanto. After the first loss in the summer of the same year, Bayer’s shares intensified on a declining trend. At just over €46, they currently cost almost half as much as they did then. None of the DAX papers have declined significantly during this period.
Leverkusen shares are currently up 0.60 percent to 46.44 euros in XETRA trading.
Los Angeles / New York (DPA-AFX)
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