Bayer's $7.25 Billion Roundup Settlement Faces Court Approval in Missouri
Bayer AG’s Monsanto unit is seeking court approval for a proposed $7.25 billion settlement to resolve tens of thousands of U.S. lawsuits alleging that its weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. The hearing, before Judge Timothy Boyer in St. Louis, will assess objections from some plaintiffs' attorneys who argue the deal does not adequately compensate claimants and may pressure them into accepting lower payouts than they could receive through litigation. The settlement aims to resolve nearly all current and future U.S. Roundup claims and is a key part of Bayer’s strategy under CEO Bill Anderson to move past years of costly legal battles that have weighed on the company's share price since its 2018 acquisition of Monsanto. The proposed agreement offers compensation ranging from $10,000 to $165,000 per claimant based on factors like cancer severity and exposure context. The litigation has been driven by conflicting scientific assessments—while the World Health Organization classified glyphosate as a probable carcinogen in 2015, U.S. regulators have maintained it is not likely to cause cancer under normal use conditions.
Topics: Bayer cancer claims lawsuit Monsanto Roundup