Facts

Alva and Alberta Pilliod filed a lawsuit against Monsanto in relation to its Roundup formula.

PLAINTIFF'S CONTENTIONS: Plaintiffs contended that spraying Roundup on their properties for decades caused them to develop an aggressive cancer, specifically, non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Plaintiffs claimed that Monsanto made Roundup 40 times more toxic by selling Roundup with polyethoxylated tallow amine. Moreover, they also contended that Monsanto skewed skin samples before they were tested by freezing and heating the samples. Plaintiffs contended that Monsanto knowingly concealed the carcinogen effects of Roundup.

DEFENDANT'S CONTENTIONS: Defendant denied the contentions and contended that Alva had an abnormally deficient immune system and Alberta had a history of autoimmune disease and other cancers, and thus, they were both at risk for developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Result

The jury found in favor of the plaintiffs and awarded them $2.055 billion. Alva Pilliod was awarded $47,296.01 in past economic damages, $8 million in past non-economic damages, and $10 million future non-economic damages, for a total of $18,047,296.10 in compensatory damages. Alberta Pilliod was awarded $201,166.76 in past economic damages, $8 million in past non-economic damages, $2,957,710 in future economic damages, and $26 million in future non-economic damages, for a total of $37,158,876.70 in compensatory damages. Both Alva and Alberta were awarded $1 billion each in punitive damages.

Deliberation

two days

Length

five weeks