A jury ordered Monsanto to pay $289 million to DeWayne Johnson, a former groundskeeper who claimed Roundup contributed to his cancer. Johnson was granted an expedited trial because doctors say he’s near death.
Anti Media reports that the award includes $40 million in compensatory damages and $250 million in punitive damages. The following tweet supports Monsanto’s claim that Roundup does not cause cancer:
CNN explains that Johnson’s trial could set a new precedent for other cases claiming that Monsato’s herbicide causes non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Monsanto’s Vice President Scott Partridge proclaims that the company will appeal the decision.
The EPA explains that the glyphosate used in Roundup is safe yet the EPA relied on evidence from Monsanto. The EPA warns users to avoid an area for 12 hours after glyphosate has been sprayed.
DeWayne Johnson’s lawyers were able to convince the jury that Monsanto could have prevented the groundkeeper’s cancer with a warning. Johnson was represented by Brent Wisner, an attorney from Los Angeles who attended Georgetown. The following tweet explains that Wisner sought and won $39 million in compensatory damages:
“I wish we didn’t have to do this,” atty Brent Wisner lays out compensatory & non-economic damages (physical pain, suffering, loss of quality of life) for Lee Johnson, dying of cancer:
— Sam Brock (@SamBrockNBC) August 7, 2018
$39, 253,209.23. Not just abt Johnson but “discouraging behavior in future.” #MonsantoTrial
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