Bayer Settlement Provides $10 Billion to Plaintiffs
Cincinnati, Ohio Class Action Attorney & Toxic Tort Lawyer Reviews Roundup Toxic Exposure and the recent $10 Billion Bayer Settlement
Lyon Firm, P.C. Clients Included in $10 Billion Roundup Settlement
In one of the largest product liability settlements ever recorded, Bayer AG has agreed to pay over $10 billion to thousands of plaintiffs who filed glyphosate toxic exposure claims. Joseph M. Lyon was one of the first lawyers in the country to represent individuals suffering from Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma related to Roundup exposure. The Firm’s clients are included in this groundbreaking settlement.
Bayer, the German chemical and drug maker which controversially acquired Monsanto, has been inundated with lawsuits that allege Roundup—the world’s most popular weedkiller—causes cancer and other illnesses.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and other international health agencies have warned that the herbicide is hazardous to humans, and could potentially lead to disease with continued use. In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a subsidiary of the WHO, announced glyphosate could “probably” cause cancer in humans.
But Bayer has denied that Roundup is a carcinogen, citing contradicting studies. And Monsanto has been accused in the past of trying to influence scientific opinion and discredit experts who criticize the safety of their products.
Nevertheless, the company has bowed to the legal pressure and agreed to pay tens of thousands of injury claims around the United States. In an important legal side note, Bayer maintains that Roundup is safe for use, and will continue to sell Roundup. The company has said it has no plans to place any warning label on its products.
Joe Lyon is a Cincinnati, Ohio Attorney representing plaintiffs nationwide in a wide variety of litigation, with experience settling toxic exposure and product liability cases.
$10 Billion Bayer Settlement
The Bayer settlement will pay $9 billion to an estimated 95,000 plaintiffs and another $1.25 billion for future Roundup cancer claims. Individuals included in the settlement will receive payments of around $5,000 to $250,000.
The slate has not been cleaned entirely, however, with at least 30,000 holdouts—plaintiffs who have not yet agreed to any settlement. Attorneys say a structured deal with future claimants is likely to be reached this year.
Bayer management says they are confident the deal will bring closure to the high-profile litigation. Lawyers are dubious, however, and say much may depend on future studies and personal injuries potentially linked to glyphosate-based products.
Plaintiffs who have not agreed to settle have been emboldened by three landmark verdicts which heavily favored cancer victims. Juries delivered huge awards in a few cases that argued Roundup use directly caused non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and other cancers. Those recent trials were quite damaging to Bayer, and forced their hand into settlement talks.
Class action lawsuits were filed on behalf of farmers, gardeners, homeowners, landscapers, groundskeepers, and others with a long history of Roundup use. Attorneys and experts argued, with the help of health studies, that glyphosate is a likely cancer-causing agent. Bayer has said all along that Roundup is safe for agricultural and landscaping purposes.
Settlement Prompts New Glyphosate Study
As a part of the Bayer settlement, the company agrees to fund a new comprehensive study of the effect glyphosate has on human health. The company is tasked with establishing an independent expert panel to resolve existing questions about glyphosate, including its carcinogenic properties, and relative toxic exposure to end users.
If the experts conclude that glyphosate is a carcinogen, as plaintiffs have alleged, Bayer will not be able to argue otherwise in future litigation. Conversely, if the experts determine that glyphosate is safe for use, as Bayer argues, plaintiffs’ attorneys cannot argue the chemical is a known cancer-causing agent.
Dicamba Settlement & PCB Lawsuits
Although the news has been overshadowed by the larger Roundup-related settlement, Bayer also recently announced a $400 million allocation of funds to settle Dicamba drift and crop damage claims.
Bayer also placed $820 million aside to settle PCB lawsuits related to polychlorinated biphenyls released into U.S. water supplies.
The Lyon Firm has engaged large corporations in product liability and toxic exposure lawsuits, and continues to fight for consumer safety. Contact Joe Lyon at (800) 513-2403 for a free consultation if you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to a defective or toxic consumer product.
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