Statement on Barnes
On March 21, 2025, the jury in the Barnes Roundup™ trial in the State Court of Cobb County, Georgia reached a verdict in favor of the plaintiff of 2.1 billion US-Dollars (2 billion in punitive damages and 65 million in compensatory damages). Our statement:
“We disagree with the jury’s verdict, as it conflicts with the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence and the consensus of regulatory bodies and their scientific assessments worldwide. We believe that we have strong arguments on appeal to get this verdict overturned and the excessive and unconstitutional damage awards eliminated or reduced. The court previously granted the majority of the company’s motion for a directed verdict finding that the plaintiff had failed to prove most of their causes of action in this case.
The company maintains that the cross-cutting state-based failure to warn claim in this and other cases in the Roundup litigation is preempted by federal law consistent with the Schaffner decision by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. This decision created a circuit split within the federal appellate courts that warrants review by the U.S. Supreme Court. The company is currently evaluating the cases which would present the best opportunity for review and will file a petition for certiorari in 2025, and if granted, the Supreme Court would decide the case during its 2025-2026 session.
The company remains committed to trying cases, having secured favorable outcomes in 17 of the last 25 trials. Our track record demonstrates that we win when plaintiffs’ attorneys and their experts are not allowed to misrepresent the worldwide regulatory and scientific assessments that continue to support the products’ safety. Damages in cases that have reached final judgments have been reduced 90 percent overall compared with the original jury awards.
We continue to stand fully behind the safety of Roundup™ products - critical tools that farmers rely on to produce affordable food and feed the world.”