SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A jury in federal court in San Francisco will decide whether Roundup weed killer caused a California man’s cancer in a trial that plaintiffs’ attorneys say could help determine the fate of hundreds of similar lawsuits.
Opening statements in Edwin Hardeman’s lawsuit against agribusiness giant Monsanto are scheduled for Monday. The 70-year-old is the second plaintiff to go to trial of thousands around the country who claim Roundup causes cancer. Monsanto says studies have established that the active ingredient in Roundup, glyphosate, is safe.
A San Francisco jury in August awarded another man $289 million after determining Roundup caused his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. A judge later slashed the award to $78 million.
Hardeman’s trial is in a different court and may be more significant because a judge overseeing hundreds of Roundup lawsuits has deemed it a test case.
