Coronavirus Bogs Down Bayer’s Roundup Settlement Talks
Bayer AG says the new coronavirus is slowing down settlement talks with tens of thousands of plaintiffs who claim its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer, the latest evidence that the pandemic is causing delays and disruptions throughout the legal system.
The company recently exercised a right to terminate a draft settlement agreement it had reached with a group of firms and extended the negotiations through April, according to a person familiar with a matter. The legal maneuver buys Bayer some time to assess the fallout from the global economic collapse caused by virus-related shutdowns.