1. What the judge decided?
The German Bayer group is confronted for months with a wave of lawsuits, because the subsidiary Monsanto displaced spraying Roundup is suspected to cause cancer. A Federal district court in San Francisco ruled last week that Monsanto cancer risks of the Herbicide, Roundup is a controversial active ingredient glyphosate liable. The court figures condemned Bayer now in the night to today, the lymph glands, cancer of plaintiff Edwin Hardeman damage diseased rate in the amount of $ 80 million. Noteworthy: The lawyer of the plaintiff had merely requested payment in the amount of $ 18 million. Bayer announced in the night of the right to appeal against the judgment on appeal.
2. Why is the ruling important?
the judgment is a kind of test case in a method, what is the mass of subject-like actions. Several of these so-called “Bellwether trials” are scheduled. The aim of the procedure is to determine the possible damage, and the amount of any settlement payment. At the end of January, Bayer a total of 11’200 complaints because of the Monsanto had been Using Roundup, as the company had stated. Alone at the court in San Francisco, more than 760 additional procedures, according to media reports pending. In the night of the judgment was the first in Federal court. Bayer said in a statement that each procedure separately on the Basis of the particular circumstances and legal conditions. Already today, is another process in California against Monsanto begins.
3. What does the decision mean for the claimant?
Edwin Hardeman is a 70-year-old retiree from California who had used the herbicides for decades on his land. 2015 was found to be of him cancer of the lymph nodes, now he is considered cured. After the company has already announced plans to appeal, will have to Hardeman set on further negotiations, which will take possibly years. This also applies for the caretaker Dewayne Johnson, the jury had also awarded in San Francisco in August of last year, 289 million dollars in Pain and suffering, and compensation. The sentence was then reduced subsequently to around 78 million dollars. It was the first ruling against Monsanto.
image range: Monsanto millions numbers
4. How dangerous glyphosate is in everyday life?
the research will be arguing for years over the question of whether the Roundup included glyphosate causes cancer or not. Several environmental authorities, including authorities in the US and the EU, say no and have allowed the active ingredient. The EU authority was last updated in 2017 for a further five years the green light. The world health organization belonging to the International Agency for research on cancer (Iarc) ruled, however, that glyphosate is “likely to be carcinogenic in humans”. In Switzerland, glyphosate is used in agriculture, with a declining trend. Bayer said that the latest judgement will not change anything “at the weight of over four decades of extensive scientific work and the conclusions of regulatory authorities worldwide, which do not support the safety of our glyphosate-based herbicides and the conclusion that they are carcinogenic”. However, the six jurors arrived at the Federal district court in San Francisco to a different conclusion.
5. What is the meaning of the judgment for Bayer?
For Bayer, and the former rivals Monsanto, the judgment is delicate. This is, among other things, to the fact that Bayer CEO Werner Baumann expresses again and again, combative, and in all procedures for the military. Only alone the wave of lawsuits is not a Problem for the company. Analysts speak in connection with the action, wave of possible payments of about $ 40 billion, or even higher amounts. But that’s not enough: glyphosate-containing herbicides are also an important revenue generator for the company. Not to forget that Bayer has brought to the issues through the purchase of the US company Monsanto, even in the house. Although the Name of Monsanto to disappear forever. But the 63-billion Dollar acquisition, then 2018 is approved, is controversial and may prove to be toxic for Bayer. Is reflected in the increased distrust on the share price: The Bayer-papers are today, slipped in early trading into the red. When it is known that the direction of the trend-setting decision last week, the shares fell by 13 per cent.
(editing Tamedia)
Created: 28.03.2019, 16:15 Uhr
