Bayer agrees to pay billions to settle Roundup lawsuits

"Agrichemical company Bayer and attorneys for cancer patients have announced a proposed $7.25 billion (6.1 billion) nationwide settlement to resolve thousands of US lawsuits. The Germany-based company faces claims over Roundup from approximately 65,000 plaintiffs in US state and federal courts. The lawsuits allege Bayer failed to warn people that glyphosate, the key ingredient of its popular weedkiller Roundup, causes cancer. The plaintiffs say they developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other forms of cancer after using the weedkiller, either at home or on the job."

"The proposed settlement announced on Tuesday calls for Bayer to make annual payments into a special fund for up to 21 years, totaling as much as $7.25 billion. The amount of money paid out to individuals would vary depending on how they used Roundup, how old they were when diagnosed and the severity of their non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Bayer doesn't admit liability with Roundup settlement Bayer says decades of studies have shown Roundup's active ingredient, glyphosate, is safe for human use."

Bayer has proposed a nationwide settlement of up to $7.25 billion to resolve approximately 65,000 US lawsuits alleging that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other cancers. The settlement would fund annual payments into a special fund for up to 21 years, with individual awards varying by usage, age at diagnosis and disease severity. The agreement does not require Bayer to admit liability and requires a minimum number of plaintiffs to opt in; Bayer may cancel if too many plaintiffs opt out. The settlement requires approval from the St. Louis Circuit Court. Bayer acquired Roundup through its 2018 purchase of Monsanto and previously paid about $10 billion to settle earlier cases.

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