WASHINGTON: A Missouri jury ordered Bayer to pay $1.56 billion to four plaintiffs who claimed the company’s Roundup weedkiller caused injuries including cancer, a verdict that could intensify investor pressure on the German drugs and agricultural chemicals company to change its legal strategy.

The Cole County, Missouri jury found on Friday that Bayer’s Monsanto business was liable for claims of negligence, design defects and failing to warn plaintiffs of the potential dangers of using Roundup, according to court documents.

Valorie Gunther of New York, Jimmy Draeger of Missouri and Daniel Anderson of California were awarded a combined $61.1 million in compensatory damages and $500 million each in punitive damages.

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Each was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma that they alleged was caused by using Roundup on their family property. Draeger’s wife Brenda was awarded $100,000 for the harm she allegedly suffered from her husband’s disease.

The punitive damages could be reduced on appeal as it exceeds US Supreme Court guidance.

Bayer has said that decades of studies have shown Roundup and its active ingredient, glyphosate, are safe for human use.

The verdict is the fourth straight loss in court for Bayer, after the company had been found not liable to plaintiffs in nine consecutive trials. Earlier this month, Union Investment, one of Bayer’s top 10 shareholders, called on the company to consider trying to engage with plaintiffs to settle more cases.

Bart Rankin, partner at Forrest Weldon which represented the plaintiffs, said in a statement the victory was the first of many on behalf of.