20 Feb Critical Mass: First Dicamba Verdict Deals a Dilemma for Monsanto.

Dicamba | Law.com | Amanda Bronstad | Feb 26, 2020

Dicamba: “Could There Be A Dicamba Deluge?”

Monsanto Co. got hit with a $265 million punitive damages verdict—but this time, it wasn’t over Roundup. A federal jury in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, came back with a $15 million award on Friday, followed by $250 million in punitive damages on Saturday against Bayer AG, which owns Monsanto, and BASF.

The verdict, which Bayer said on Monday it would “swiftly appeal,” comes in the first trial over dicamba, a pesticide that allegedly spreads to non-resistant crops, causing economic damages to farmers.

Dicamba Verdict

Joseph Peiffer (Peiffer Wolf Carr & Kane) told me there were hundreds of lawsuits pending in multidistrict litigation before U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh. He expected thousands to be filed in the coming months.

About the verdict, he told me:

“I was delighted and, frankly, a little surprised that the jury came back so quickly with a number that was $50 million over what was asked for in punitive damages, which meant they were outraged by Monsanto and BASF’s conduct. […] I didn’t talk to them, but it doesn’t take Albert Einstein or a jury consultant to understand when that happens it’s because they want to send a message. It’s one thing to make a mistake, it’s another thing to recklessly destroy farmers’ entire livelihoods.”

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Dicamba Damage Lawyers at Peiffer Wolf Carr & Kane are fighting on behalf of farmers and landowners to seek maximum compensation for the damages suffered due to Dicamba Damage. If you suspect that your crops or plants have been damaged by dicamba, contact Peiffer Wolf Carr & Kane by filling out a Contact Form or by calling 314-833-4826 for a FREE Consultation.