Court awards couples Sh200B as damages over Roundup weed killer

Monsanto Co's Roundup is shown for sale in Encinitas, California, U.S., June 26, 2017. REUTERS

A California jury on Monday awarded more than Sh200 billion to a couple who claimed Bayer AG’s glyphosate-based Roundup weed killer caused their cancer, in the largest U.S. jury verdict to date against the company in litigation over the chemical.

The large punitive damages award is likely to be reduced due to U.S. Supreme Court rulings that limit the ratio of punitive to compensatory damages to 9:1. The jury awarded a total of Sh200 billion in punitive damages and Sh5.5 billion in compensatory damages.