Another Plaintiff Verdict in Monsanto Roundup Litigation

Earlier this week, the plaintiff in Hardeman v. Monsanto prevailed in the first phase of of the first bellwether trial In re: Roundup Products Liability Litigation (MDL No. 2741). A unanimous jury found that Monsanto's prize weed-killer, Roundup, caused the plaintiff to develop Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. The trial now proceeds to a second phase, where the jury will decide whether Monsanto is liable for the injuries and, if so, the extent of the plaintiff's damages. This is the first of three bellwether trials set by the MDL Judge Vince Chhabria to take place in 2019. Last year, in the very first Roundup trial, a California state court jury returned a plaintiff verdict in the amount of $289 million, which was later reduced to $78 million on post-trial motions.