A second California jury found that a man likely developed cancer after being exposed to the Roundup weed killer he used in his yard.
The Wall Street Journal says it’s the second case to go to trial over the alleged harm of the popular Bayer product.
The six-person jury in the San Francisco-based U.S. District Court will now begin hearing evidence to separately weigh whether Bayer’s Monsanto unit should be held liable.
That’s a decision that could bring substantial financial damages against the company as Monsanto will now have to disclose internal documents related to the case.
It’s a blow to Bayer, which took over Monsanto’s Roundup product portfolio when it bought the agrichemical giant last year.
In a statement after the verdict was announced, Bayer says credible science doesn’t support the plaintiffs’ case and that it plans to “vigorously defend” glyphosate-based products used by both farmers and consumers.
The jury will have to decide whether Bayer will have to pay damages to Edwin Hardeman, the 70-year-old plaintiff.
His attorneys say they “look forward to presenting this evidence and holding Monsanto accountable for its bad conduct.”
