A French court has found U.S. chemical giant Monsanto Co. guilty of
pesticide poisoning in the case of a French farmer who became ill after
exposure to one of the company’s herbicides, according to Reuters.
The case is significant in that it sets precedent for other cases
alleging pesticide poisoning or negligence in reporting of potential
effects on human health resulting from pesticides. The court has said it
will seek an expert opinion regarding the farmer’s losses in order to
determine the appropriate amount of damages he should be rewarded.
The case stems from an incident in which the farmer, Paul Francois,
inadvertently inhaled Monsanto’s Lasso pesticide when cleaning his
sprayer tank on his farm in southern France in 2004. He then began
experiencing memory loss, headaches, and stammering, among other
neurological problems. This led to his decision to file suit against
Monsanto, asserting that the company did not provide adequate warnings
on the product label that would indicate these symptoms could result
from exposure. The court agreed with Mr. Francois, stating that,
“Monsanto is responsible for Paul Francois’s suffering after he inhaled
the Lasso product … and must entirely compensate him,” according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
