Bayer was forced on Wednesday to delay part of a proposed settlement of allegations that its widely used weedkiller Roundup caused cancer after a U.S. judge questioned its plan to deal with future claims.
The company said that lawyers representing those preparing a class action had withdrawn a request for court approval of the $1.25 billion future claims scheme, part of a broader $10.9 billion agreement to settle close to 100,000 U.S. lawsuits related to Roundup.
The move gives both sides more time to address questions raised by Federal District Court Judge Vince Chabria who is presiding over the federal Roundup litigation, Bayer said.
Chhabria had raised concerns over Bayer’s plan to create an independent panel of scientific experts to help assess whether glyphosate-based weedkillers such as Roundup caused cancer.
“Bayer remains strongly committed to a resolution that simultaneously addresses both the current litigation on reasonable terms and a viable solution to manage and resolve potential future litigation,” the company statement said.
It declined to comment on the impact on the timetable for the bulk of the settlement.
“The (withdrawal) decision means that Bayer is back to square one when it comes to managing future claims, which will be worked up and filed over the coming years,” said David Noll, a law professor at Rutgers University who closely follows the litigation.