Jury selection commenced on Monday in Missouri for another trial against Monsanto, now part of Bayer AG. Three women, two from Ohio and one from Oklahoma, have brought the case to court. It’s an addition to the existing string of litigations faced by the conglomerate surrounding the safety of its Roundup weedkiller.
As always in such legal battles, the stakes are high. Over the past few years, Monsanto has continuously found itself in courtrooms amidst claims that its globally prevalent weedkiller product, Roundup, has caused cancer in its users. Notably, many of these lawsuits have resulted in hefty payments for the claimants.
This fresh case opens another chapter in the story of Monsanto’s legal disputes involving Roundup. For the claimants, their fight sits in the broader context of numerous individuals across multiple states claiming harm from the company’s well-established weedkiller. For Monsanto, it is yet another case to fight in its continuing defense of the product.
No doubt, this will be one of the many similar trials to unfold over the course of this year, as more lawsuits are queued to be heard. The outcomes of these legal battles may have profound impacts on future regulations and responsibility of companies towards product safety.