Rural America — Farmers around the world are watching a group of California cases with interest because the outcome could change the whole agriculture industry.
A U.S. District Judge in San Francisco is allowing hundreds of lawsuits against Monsanto (now Bayer) to move forward over claims that the company’s weed killer, Roundup, causes cancer. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria ruled that the evidence linking Roundup to cancer seems “weak” … but decided that cancer victims and their families can still make that claim at trial. The plaintiffs claim Monsanto knew about Roundup’s cancer risk but failed to warn them. Monsanto denies a link between Roundup and cancer and many government regulators have also denied a connection.
Several California families are suing Roundup’s manufacturer Monsanto over cancers they say were caused by exposure to the chemical. The first case to go to trial is in the testimony phase now. Groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson is dying from Non-Hodgkins’ Lymphoma that he and his family say was caused by his exposure to the chemical in Roundup. The plaintiffs wanted to have an expert talk about the amount of exposure the state of California has determined causes cancer, but a judge told them they couldn’t do that because the lawyers for the makers of Roundup were not put on notice about the expert’s possible testimony.
Last month a federal judge upheld an injunction saying California may not require a label on Roundup saying it is a possible carcinogen. U.S. District Court Judge William Shubb upheld the preliminary injunction prohibiting the state from enforcing the requirement until the court issues a final ruling on the matter. The California Attorney General had filed a motion to lift the preliminary injunction that was issued by the court in February.
Meanwhile, German drugmaker Bayer bought Monsanto for $66 billion in June and says it plans to get rid of the “Monsanto” company name.
ABC News and the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network contributed to this story.
