Symbol copyright AFP Symbol caption Plants are often handled with the herbicide glyphosate
Chemical large Monsanto has been ordered to pay $289m (£226m) damages to a man who claimed herbicides containing glyphosate had brought about his most cancers.
In a landmark case, a Californian jury discovered that Monsanto knew its Roundup and RangerPro weedkillers have been bad and failed to warn consumers.
It’s the primary lawsuit to head to trial alleging a glyphosate link to cancer.
Monsanto denies that glyphosate reasons most cancers and says it intends to attraction against the ruling.
“The jury were given it improper,” vice-president Scott Partridge said out of doors the courthouse in San Francisco.
Symbol copyright AFP Symbol caption Dewayne Johnson (R) hugged his lawyer after hearing the verdict
Jurors discovered on Friday that the corporate had acted with “malice” and that its weedkillers contributed “considerably” to Mr Johnson’s terminal illness.
Following an 8-week trial, the jury ordered the agricultural multi-national to pay $250m in punitive damages along with different prices that introduced the overall determine to just about $290m.
In an announcement after the ruling, Monsanto mentioned it was once “sympathetic to Mr Johnson and his circle of relatives” however it may “continue to vigorously protect this product, which has a 40-yr historical past of protected use and keeps to be a vital, effective and secure device for farmers and others”.
The use of glyphosate has lengthy been controversial.
One UN observe known as the chemical “most probably carcinogenic”, although different scientists have said it’s secure to make use of.
Image copyright AFP Symbol caption Roundup is a well-liked brand of weedkiller
