By james art 
New York
AP
–
The jurors in Georgia ordered Monsanto Bayer’s parent to pay nearly $ 2.1 billion in damage to a man saying that the murder of weeds of the company has caused his cancer, according to lawyers representing the plaintiff.
The sentence is celebrated by the latest in a long-standing series of court battles that Monsanto has faced because of his herbicide. The agrochemical giant says he will appeal the sentence reached in the Georgia courtroom at the end of Friday, in efforts to annul the decision.
The awarded sanctions include $ 65 million in compensation benefits and $ 2 billion in penalty damage, LLP’s LLP laws of Arnold & Itkin and Kline & Spectre PC said. This notes one of the largest convictions reached in a circle-related case so far.
The applicant John Barnes filed a lawsuit against Monsanto in 2021, seeking damage related to his non -Hodder’s lymphoma. Arnold & Itkin’s lawyer Kyle Findley, the lead lawyer in the case, said the verdict would help put his client in a better position to get the treatment he needs forward.
“It was a long way for him … and he was happy that the truth related to the product (was exposed),” Findley told the Associated Press on Sunday. He called the sentence an “important cornerstone” after “another example of Monsanto’s refusal to take responsibility for poisoning people with this toxic product.”
Germany -based Bayer, who acquired Monsanto in 2018, continues to dispute the claim that Roundup is causing cancer. But the company has been affected by more than 177,000 court cases, including Weedkiller and earns $ 16 billion to settle cases.
In a statement, Monsanto stated that the sentence on Friday “contradicts the enormous burden of scientific evidence and consensus of regulatory authorities and their scientific assessments worldwide.” The company added that it continues to “stand completely behind the safety” of Roundup products.
For different crops – including corn, soy and cotton – Roundup is designed to work with genetically modified seeds that oppose the deadly effect of weeds. It allows farmers to produce more, while maintaining the soil, treating it less.
Some studies have linked the key ingredient in Roundup, glyphosate, with cancer, although the US Environmental Protection Agency has said it is unlikely to be carcinogenic for people when used as directed.
However, numerous weed lawsuits claim that glyphosate causes non -Hodgkin’s lymphoma, claiming that Monsanto has failed to warn the public about serious risks of years.
Findley said evidence related to Barnes’s case shows “many years of concealment” and “rear transactions”. He accused Monsanto of ignoring several scientific studies related to Roundup toxicity, and said the company “tried to find ways to persuade and distract and deny the connection between this product and the lymphoma of the non -Hodzkin.”
The decision on Friday marks the fourth sentence related to the circle that the Findley team has won the most awarded in Philadelphia in January 2024, with the damage being a total of $ 2.25 billion. And he said that his law firm has “many more customers who are similarly located as a Barnes.”
Meanwhile, Monsanto also maintains that he “remains committed to testing cases” and claims that his wider record of court disputes is continuing to increase the safety of his products. The company said it has prevailed in 17 of the last 25 related tests, while some previous damage awards have been reduced.
Bayer recently renewed and expanded his efforts in a handful of US countries to protect pesticide companies from allegations that they failed to warn that a product causes cancer if labeling otherwise complies with EPA provisions. The company and another industry support claims that costs of litigation are irresistible and can affect the future availability of Roundup. But opponents emphasize that such legislation will limit accountability.
Correction: A larger version of this story incorrectly describes the damage as a legal agreement. The hearing has reached the sentence, which is subject to appeal.