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8 ¦ AUGUST 31, 2020 NEWS

Settlement Is on the Table,
But Roundup Lawsuits Continue

By Robert Storace

New London attorney Kelly settlement agreement does make
Reardon filed a new fed- the process easier for our client,
eral lawsuit Tuesday—for though.”
a total of six so far—against The In June, Bayer, which acquired
Monsanto Co., an agrochemical Monsanto in 2018, agreed to pay
and agricultural biotechnology upward of $10.9 billion to cover
corporation. 75% of the 125,000 lawsuits filed
The new complaint comes as that claim Roundup causes can-
the lawyer and her clients are cer, The amount also includes an
waiting to learn whether the law- allowance to cover outstanding
suits will be resolved as part of a claims filed, the company said.
roughly billion-dollar settlement But Chhabria has since raised
agreement from Monsanto. questions surrounding $1.1 bil-
The Reardon Law Firm attor- lion that was to go toward future
neys, including Laura Raymond, lawsuits—those filed since June
have filed six of the eight Connect- Kelly Reardon. Courtesy photo 2020. Two Reardon suits were
icut lawsuits against Monsanto filed since June. Bayer attorneys
since August 2019, alleging the company’s Roundup are still in negotiations with the lead plaintiffs attor-
product causes cancer. neys in an effort to come to another agreement.
Dig deeper: Monsanto Hit With $2B in Punitives in Roundup contains an active ingredient known as
Oakland Roundup Trial glyphosate, which, Reardon says, is dangerous and
Tuesday’s lawsuit was filed on behalf of 60-year- can cause cancer. Glyphosate, the lawsuit says, is a
old Connecticut resident Gary Donaghy, who herbicide used to kill weeds and grasses.
Reardon said, contracted non- “The biggest problem was a
Hodgkin lymphoma from years lack of adequate warnings despite
of using Roundup. Monsanto’s knowing this chemi-
The six lawsuits have been cal in Roundup was unsafe and
transferred to the multidistrict The Reardon Law Firm has had a propensity to cause cancer,”
litigation in the Northern Dis- filed six of the Reardon said.
trict of California, where Judge
Vince Chhabria will have a status eight Connecticut lawsuits The lawsuit claims that each
conference with plaintiffs and de- against Monsanto since year about 250 million pounds of
August 2019. glyphosate are sprayed on crops,

fense counsel Thursday. suburban lawns, parks and golf
“We will hopefully learn more courses.
about our options,” Reardon Reardon, who is seeking puni-
said Wednesday. “At this point, it’s all uncertain as tive and compensatory damages, said Wednesday,
to whether we will be part of the settlement agree- “there have already been numerous plaintiff verdicts
ment. There is always a possibility that we can reach that have been substantial.” She declined to say how
an individual settlement with the company. The much she’d be seeking in her lawsuits.

CONNECTICUT
Law Tribune