A fourth trial alleging that the weed killer Roundup causes cancer was postponed as both sides seek a settlement, according to reports.
Attorneys told The New York Times that an agreement had been reached to postpone the trial that was scheduled to begin Jan. 24 in St. Louis to give parties on both sides time to reach a settlement. There are thousands of claims of the herbicide causing non-Hodgkins lymphoma awaiting litigation. Reports of how many cases are pending are all over the place and range from about 50,000 to more than 75,000, according to Ken Feinberg, the court-appointed mediator working with attorneys on both sides in hopes of reaching a settlement.
Rumors of settlement figures have been published, but have not been confirmed. A news release from Bayer says no settlement has been reached and does not hint at when one should be expected - if at all.
"While Bayer is constructively engaged in the mediation process, there is no comprehensive agreement at this time. There also is no certainty or timetable for a comprehensive resolution."
Reaching a settlement that all sides can agree upon will likely be a tall task.
In three previous court cases, juries in California have awarded millions in damages. The pending St. Louis case was to be significant on two fronts: it would be the first that groups multiple plaintiffs (four) in a single case, and St. Louis was Monsanto’s home for 117 years, since the company was founded in 1901 until it was acquired by Bayer in 2018.
In the first three trials, juries awarded plaintiffs $289 million, $80 million and $2 billion. All awards were subsequently reduced by the judges.