Monsanto Bayer Glyphosate Harm Lawsuit Payouts Status Jun 2025
Monsanto/Bayer has already paid out over $10 Billion for over 100,000 lawsuits of Glyphosate poisoning, toxicity
Bayer (which acquired Monsanto in 2018) has paid out approximately $10 billion to $11 billion in settlements for glyphosate-based Roundup claims (mainly non‑Hodgkin lymphoma) and related verdicts as of spring–summer 2025. Here’s the breakdown:
- ~100,000 cases reached bulk settlement agreements, costing around $11 billion (lawsuit-information-center.com).
- One source notes Bayer has “paid out nearly $11 B in Roundup lawsuit settlements” across approximately 170,000 filed lawsuits (sokolovelaw.com).
- As of June 2020, a $8.8–$9.6 billion settlement package was agreed to resolve roughly 125,000 claims, plus $1.5 billion reserved for future claims (usrtk.org).
- Roughly 67,000 lawsuits remain pending as of May 2025, for which Bayer has reserved around $5.9 billion more (lawsuit-information-center.com).
In terms of lawsuits filed and resolved:
- About 165,000–181,000 total claims have been filed (simmonsfirm.com, en.wikipedia.org).
- ~114,000–113,000 of those were resolved or dismissed, either through settlement or verdicts .
Summary Numbers
| Category | Count | Amount Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Total lawsuits filed | ~165,000–181,000 | – |
| Estimated lawsuits settled | ~100,000–125,000 | $8.8B–$11B (bulk settlements) |
| Verdicts/jury awards | Several high-profile | Billions (e.g., $2.1B, $2.25B, $332M) |
| Still pending | ~67,000 | $5.9B reserved |
So far, Bayer has paid roughly $10–11 billion in settlements and jury verdicts related to glyphosate. Tens of thousands—or nearly 70,000—cases remain unresolved, with billions held in reserve.
Here are detailed summaries of major landmark glyphosate (Roundup) verdicts involving Monsanto/Bayer:
Key Verdicts & Appeals
1. Johnson v. Monsanto Co. (Dewayne “Lee” Johnson) – 2018, Appeals afterward
- August 10, 2018: California jury awarded $289 million ($39M compensatory + $250M punitive)—found Monsanto failed to warn of cancer risk (en.wikipedia.org).
- Appeal reductions:
- Slashed to $78 million, then ultimately $21 million by June 2020 (en.wikipedia.org).
2. Hardeman v. Monsanto – March 2019
- First federal MDL trial. A Sonoma County man was awarded $80 million (including punitive damages) (carolynstclair.com).
- Reduced on appeal to approximately $26 million (en.wikipedia.org).
3. Pilliod v. Monsanto – May 2019
- A husband and wife duo diagnosed with NHL won $2.055 billion (nearly $2B punitive, $55M compensatory) (lawsuitupdatecenter.com).
- Later reduced on appeal to $86.7 million (en.wikipedia.org).
4. John Barnes – Georgia Jury – March 2025
- Jury awarded $2.1 billion total: $65M compensatory + $2B punitive for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (washingtonpost.com).
- Bayer is appealing the verdict.
5. Missouri 3‑Plaintiff Case (Anderson v. Monsanto) – June 2025
- Trial court awarded $611 million (≈ $61M compensatory + $550M punitive) (millerandzois.com).
- Appellate court upheld the decision on May 28, 2025 (reuters.com).
6. Caranci Verdict – May 2025
- 83-year-old Ernest Caranci’s Philadelphia verdict of $175 million (approx. $150M punitive) upheld by Pennsylvania Superior Court on May 8, 2025 (lawsuit-information-center.com).
Timeline at a Glance
| Case | Year | Initial Verdict | Final Award (post‑appeal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dewayne Johnson | 2018 | $289M | $21M |
| Edwin Hardeman | 2019 | $80M | $26M |
| Pilliods | 2019 | $2.055B | $86.7M |
| Barnes (Georgia) | 2025 | $2.1B | Pending appeal |
| Anderson (Missouri) | 2023 | $611M | Upheld in 2025 |
| Caranci | 2023 | $175M | Upheld in 2025 |
Overview & Context
- These high-profile cases, often commencing around 2018–2019, set precedents for juries awarding large punitive damages after jury findings that Monsanto failed to adequately warn consumers (reuters.com, en.wikipedia.org).
- Numerous verdicts have been slashed significantly on appeal (e.g., Johnson from $289M to $21M) due to constitutional limits on punitive damages (en.wikipedia.org).
- Bayer continues to vigorously appeal most large verdicts, underscoring regulatory science (e.g., EPA’s stance on glyphosate) as part of its defense.
Summary
- 2018–2019 trials spotlight strong jury verdicts, often later reduced on appeal.
- 2023–2025 trials continue yielding substantial awards—$2.1B (Barnes), $611M (Missouri), $175M (Caranci)—with several decisions recently affirmed.
- These cases collectively reinforce plaintiffs’ legal claim that Monsanto knew about potential carcinogenicity but failed to properly warn users.