The large US litigation over possible cancer risks of glyphosate-containing products of the Bayer subsidiary Monsanto has begun turbulent. The dispute in court culminated yesterday in the fact that the competent federal judge Vince Chhabria the plaintiff side threatened with sanctions. Plaintiff lawyer Edwin Hardeman, who blames Monsanto’s weed killer Roundup for his disease of lymph node cancer, said he did not abide by the rules of procedure, Chhabria said.
The judge accused the plaintiff’s attorney, specifically deviated from the specified topic. Chhabria had decided in January to divide the process into two parts – first, it is about whether Monsanto products are carcinogenic. Only if the plaintiff side can prove this sufficiently, the question would be negotiated whether the enterprise concealed risks. The lawyer did not stick to this given line in her opening statement. Chhabria ordered her by court order to make a written statement later in the day.
„Roundup not responsible for his illness“
For Bayer AG, Leverkusen, which Monsanto acquired last year for around $ 63 billion (€ 55 billion), the lawsuit is highly explosive. Because it is a „Bellwether Case“ called case in a mass case, which is indicative of many more lawsuits. Overall, Bayer is confronted with around 9,300 US plaintiffs, hundreds of cases under federal law are bundled with Judge Chhabria in San Francisco.
„While we have great sympathy with Mr. Hardeman, the extensive scientific research on glyphosate-based herbicides over four decades has supported the conclusion that Roundup is not responsible for his disease,“ Bayer said in a statement to the start of the trial. The Group relies on more than 800 studies to prove that the weed killer is safe – when used correctly.
