Bayer Faces $100M Verdict in PCB Health Damage Lawsuit

The chemical giant plans to appeal the U.S. court ruling as it grapples with legal challenges tied to Monsanto's legacy.

Bayer has been ordered to pay $100 million in damages, including $25 million in compensation and $75 million in punitive damages, to four plaintiffs in a U.S. lawsuit over PCB-related health issues.
The case centers on alleged health impacts, including brain damage, linked to PCB contamination at the Sky Valley Education Center in Washington state.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), banned in the U.S. since 1979, were manufactured by Monsanto, which Bayer acquired in 2018 and inherited associated legal liabilities.
Bayer plans to appeal the ruling, arguing insufficient evidence of harmful PCB exposure and questioning the link between the chemical and the plaintiffs' illnesses.
A pivotal appeal case on PCB liability is set to begin in February at the Washington Supreme Court, potentially influencing Bayer's financial exposure in other related lawsuits.