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.
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"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.
