Pennsylvania

Bayer ordered to pay $2.25B after jury finds Roundup weed killer caused Pennsylvania man's cancer

John McKivison, 49, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma “after using Roundup on his property for 20 years,” his attorneys said. Bayer plans to appeal the verdict.

Bottles of Monsanto's Roundup are seen for sale, June 19, 2018, at a retail store in Glendale, Calif.
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images (File)

A Pennsylvania man who said his cancer was caused by Bayer's Roundup weed killer was awarded a $2.25 billion verdict by a Philadelphia jury.

John McKivison, 49, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma "after using Roundup on his property for 20 years," his attorneys Tom Kline and Jason Itkin said in a joint statement. He sued the Monsanto Company, which is owned by Bayer, in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.

On Friday, the jury handed down the verdict, which includes $2 billion in punitive damages.

"The jury's unanimous verdict was a condemnation of 50 years of misconduct by Monsanto and a declaration that its misconduct was in reckless disregard of human safety and a substantial cause of John McKivison's cancer," Kline and Itkin said.

The attorneys said the award amount "sends a clear message that this multi-national corporation needs top to bottom change."

Read the full story on NBCNews.com.

Contact Us