Legal Victory For Bayer: Roundup Lawsuit Ends Five-Trial Losing Streak

In a significant turn of events, Bayer AG BAYRY BAYZF emerged victorious in a California lawsuit filed by Bruce Jones, who alleged that the use of Roundup caused his non-Hodgkin lymphoma. 

This win marked the end of a sequence of five consecutive trial defeats for the company regarding similar claims.

The verdict, delivered by a San Benito County Superior Court jury on Friday, favored Bayer, emphasizing that there was insufficient evidence to establish a link between Roundup weedkiller and cancer. 

Around 165,000 claims have been filed against Bayer, Reuters noted, attributing personal injuries to Roundup, which the company obtained through its acquisition of U.S. agrochemical giant Monsanto for $63 billion in 2018.

Before this recent legal setback, Bayer had secured victories in nine consecutive trials. 

With the current win, the company's success rate is ten victories out of the last 15 trials. However, more cases are anticipated to be litigated in the upcoming year.

Although Bayer settled most pending Roundup cases in 2020 for up to $9.6 billion, a resolution encompassing future claims remained elusive, leaving over 50,000 cases unresolved.

In November, Bayer faced another legal setback as a California jury ruled in favor of a plaintiff who claimed that the company's Roundup weed killer caused his cancer. 

The jury has ordered Bayer to pay $332 million in damages, marking the third trial loss for the company this month.

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