Lawyers for US cancer sufferers challenge Bayer's $7.25bn Roundup settlement deal

"It is hard to escape the impression that the proposed settlement would give Monsanto everything it desires—a near-complete release of liability for Monsanto and its parent company, Bayer AG—while giving inadequate consideration to many putative class members, who would surrender their substantive rights in exchange for settlement offers that may never result in payment."

"The sheer scale and impact of the proposed settlement, together with concerns raised by its terms and how it was negotiated, warrant broader public participation and scrutiny, necessitating an extension beyond the fast-track 15-day preliminary approval timeframe to allow adequate review."

Fourteen law firms representing approximately 20,000 plaintiffs filed motions to intervene in Bayer's proposed $7.25 billion Roundup class action settlement, contending the deal unfairly favors Monsanto and its parent company Bayer AG. The settlement offers cancer sufferers ranging from $10,000 to $165,000 for non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases, but opposing counsel argues plaintiffs would surrender substantive rights for uncertain payments. The firms challenge the accelerated 15-day preliminary approval timeline, requesting a 60-day extension to allow broader public scrutiny. Bayer maintains glyphosate herbicides do not cause cancer despite facing over 100,000 lawsuits since acquiring Monsanto in 2018 and having already paid billions in settlements and verdicts.

Read at www.theguardian.com