Roundup Cancer Trial Claims
U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria in San Francisco, who is overseeing lawsuits alleging Bayer AG's glyphosate-based weed killer causes cancer, has issued a ruling that could severely restrict evidence that the plaintiffs consider crucial to their cases. Chhabria's order granted Bayer unit Monsanto's request to split an upcoming trial into two phases. It initially bars attorneys for plaintiff Edwin Hardeman from introducing evidence that the company allegedly attempted to influence regulators and manipulate public opinion. Hardeman's case is scheduled to go to trial on Feb. 25. The ruling also covers a couple of other "bellwether trials," which will help determine the range of damages and define settlement options for the rest of the 620 Roundup cases before Chhabria. Bayer denies allegations that glyphosate causes cancer, saying decades of independent studies have shown the world's most widely used weed killer to be safe for human use.