Jury says Monsanto’s weed killer was ‘substantial factor’ in causing man’s cancer

Tuesday’s verdict concluded the first of two phases in the federal case about the possible health risks of Roundup and whether Monsanto misled the man, Edwin Hardeman, about those risks.

Monsanto’s Roundup weedkiller atomizers are displayed for sale at a garden shop near Brussels, Belgium. (REUTERS)

Written by Mihir Zaveri

A federal jury Tuesday found that Monsanto’s popular weed killer Roundup was a “substantial factor” in causing a California man’s cancer, dealing a significant blow to the company as it aggressively defends its products against thousands of similar claims.

The six-member jury delivered the unanimous verdict in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, months after a groundskeeper who said Roundup caused his cancer was awarded about $80 million in a separate case in California.

Tuesday’s verdict concluded the first of two phases in the federal case about the possible health risks of Roundup and whether Monsanto misled the man, Edwin Hardeman, about those risks.

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