Monsanto found guilty of chemical poisoning in France
14 Feb 2012
A French court has found US biotech giant Monsanto guilty of chemical poisoning of a French farmer, with one of its killer herbicides, in 2004.
Paul François, 47, inhaled the powerful weed killer, Lasso, when he opened up a sprayer in 2004. He suffered neurological problems, headache and muscular pain, which rendered him unable to work for a year.
Monsanto, meanwhile, said it would challenge the judgment that could lend weight to other health claims against its pesticides and herbicides.
The court in Lyon, southeast France, blamed Monsanto for not providing adequate warnings on the product label. It also ordered an expert opinion of Francois's losses to establish the sum of damages.
He blames the agri-business giant for not providing adequate warnings on the product label.
Monsanto had escaped earlier damage claims by farmers because of the difficulty of establishing clear links between illnesses and exposure to pesticides.
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