Bayer seeks approval for Roundup settlement

Bayer urged Missouri state court Circuit Judge Timothy J. Boyer on September 14 to grant final approval to a $7.25 billion class-action settlement. The proposed agreement aims to resolve current and future lawsuits alleging its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer.

The nationwide agreement addresses roughly 65,000 pending Roundup lawsuits against the company across United States courts. Under the deal, eligible claimants would receive standard compensation between $10,000 and $165,000. Expedited quick-pay claims feature a floor of $6,000. The arrangement requires an upfront administrative and notice deposit of $500 million, with the remaining funding spread across a period of 17 to 21 years.

The litigation stems from the company's $63 billion acquisition of Monsanto in 2018. Bayer previously agreed to a $10 billion settlement in 2020. The company has already resolved about 100,000 claims and made cumulative litigation payments of $11 billion.