Bayer's Monsanto unit will appear before a Missouri state court on Monday seeking final approval of a $7.25 billion settlement intended to resolve tens of thousands of U.S. lawsuits claiming that its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer, according to Reuters.
Judge Timothy Boyer of the Missouri Circuit Court in St. Louis will examine the terms of the deal and consider objections from some plaintiffs' attorneys who argue the settlement pushes their clients into a framework against their interests, according to Reuters. Boyer is not expected to issue an immediate ruling at the hearing.
Bayer announced the proposed settlement in February and says the deal is designed to resolve current and future Roundup claims alleging non-Hodgkin lymphoma injuries. The company faces approximately 65,000 claims in U.S. state and federal courts, according to Reuters. Individual awards under the settlement would fall between $10,000 and $165,000, with the precise amount tied to factors including disease severity, the claimant's age when diagnosed, and the setting in which they encountered the herbicide.
A company spokesman said in a statement that "Monsanto continues to believe the class settlement, which is supported by plaintiffs' counsel representing tens of thousands of potential class members, is fair to all parties and warrants final approval."
Critics of the deal argue it falls short financially and that its terms effectively block current and future claimants who want to take their cases to trial, according to Reuters.