Friday, August 28, 2020

Bayer’s Roundup settlement hits a snag

A judge has threatened to re-open the class-action lawsuits against Bayer AG over its Roundup herbicide.

United States District Judge Vince Chhabria made the threat after he questioned whether Bayer is reneging on its agreement to a $63-billion settlement for about 75 per cent of the 125,000 claims filed against Roundup.

One of the leading lawyers involved in the Roundup litigation said he was prepared to bring cases to trial again.

“I agree that these Monsanto shenanigans need to stop. Either settle or don’t – at this point the only enemy is indecision,” Brent Wisner told Reuters news agency.

Bayer not only agreed on the $63 billion, but also to use its terms in ongoing negotiations to settle the other claims.

“There are often some bumps in the road in implementing a resolution of this magnitude, but we remain confident that a comprehensive settlement will be finalized and executed,” Bayer said in a statement.