Judge Has Harsh Words for Monsanto

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Judge Vince Chhabria  issued a stinging response  to Monsanto’s motion for summary judgment on Thursday, stating in his order that there was plenty of evidence that the company’s glyphosate herbicides – namely Roundup – could have caused plaintiff Edwin Hardeman’s cancer. 

“To take just one example,” the judge wrote, “the De Roos (2003) study supports a conclusion that glyphosate is a risk factor for NHL, yet Monsanto fails to mention it inits motion. Monsanto cannot prevail on a motion for summary judgment by simply ignoring large swaths of evidence.” 

He also said there was “sufficient evidence” to support a punitive damages award against Monsanto if the jury finds for Hardeman. 

“The plaintiffs have presented a great deal of evidence that Monsanto has not taken a responsible, objective approach to the safety of its product,” Judge Chhabria stated in his ruling. 

The judge concluded: “Although the evidence that Roundup causes cancer is quite equivocal, there is strong evidence from which a jury could conclude that Monsanto does not particularly care whether its product is in fact giving people cancer, focusing instead on manipulating public opinion and undermining anyone who raises genuine and legitimate concerns about the issue.”

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