Judge Questions Roundup Settlement
According to a recent article in the St. Louis Business Journal, Bayer’s $10.9 billion Roundup settlement may be in question after a judge expressed concerns over possible “shenanigans” by the German pharmaceutical giant (Judge casts doubt on Bayer’s $10.9B Roundup settlement, fears ‘manipulation’). Roundup is manufactured by St. Louis-based Monsanto Co., which was acquired by Bayer for $63 billion in 2018.
“My concern is that if I leave the stay in place, am I complicit in whatever shenanigans are taking place on the Bayer side?” said Vince Chhabria, United States District Judge for the Northern District of California. Judge Chhabria is reportedly worried that Bayer has “manipulated” the settlement process since reaching a tentative agreement to settle 125,000 cases.
The judge plans to determine over the next few months whether litigation should be delayed to permit more settlement talks or more trials should be allowed to proceed. “We’ve got a bunch of cases we could send out to other jurisdictions,” Judge Chhabria said.
Bayer issued a statement defending its settlement progress. “A mass tort settlement of this size and complexity can take significant time before it is fully executed, and we are still early in this process,” the statement said. “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.”
Judge Chhabria indicated he will likely release plaintiffs’ attorneys’ confidential letters arguing that Bayer is reneging on its agreement to pay as much as $10.9 billion to settle 75% of the pending Roundup cases. If Bayer is “going back on its deal and the deal it announced in June, that seems to me something that should not be kept confidential,” Judge Chhabria said.
With the settlement potentially in jeopardy, it may become more difficult for those who have not yet filed suit to receive compensation for their claims. Time is running out for you to seek the advice of an attorney if you believe you may have been exposed to Roundup.
Please call Davis, Bethune & Jones at 1-800-875-5972 for a free consultation. Our experienced personal injury attorneys will ensure that your rights are protected and you receive the compensation you deserve.
