Bayer proposes $7.2 billion settlement to resolve Roundup weedkiller cases
Bayer said Tuesday that its chemical subsidiary Monsanto offered a $7.25 billion settlement to resolve lawsuits filed by customers alleging its weedkiller product Roundup caused non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
If the settlement gains court approval, Monsanto would make annual payments over a period of up to 21 years. People with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma who were exposed to Roundup before the proposed legal remedy was announced Tuesday can file an application to receive payments, according to Reuters.
Bayer said in a statement that the agreement does not include any admission of liability or wrongdoing. Bayer said the resolutions would increase its litigation liability from 7.8 billion euros ($9.2 billion) to 11.8 billion euros ($13.9 billion).
Bayer, a German agricultural and pharmaceutical company, also said Tuesday it had reached agreements to resolve other Roundup-related cases. These additional agreements, the exact terms of which were not disclosed, would amount to around $3 billion, Reuters reported.
Bayer has faced thousands of Roundup-related lawsuits since bought Monsanto in 2018 for $63 billion. In 2020, Bayer announced it would pay up to $10.9 billion to settle some 125,000 filed and unfiled claims. Three years later, a jury rewarded by a Californian man $332 million after ruling that Monsanto failed to properly warn consumers of the risks of using Roundup.
Roundup is still available for sale online and through other major retailers. Bayer claims that Roundup products are safe and their ingredients have been thoroughly tested and reviewed.
