A Florida jury worked late tonight, returning a verdict in favor of the plaintiff just a few minutes before 11pm Eastern time this evening.
The jury found that Mr. Huish's addiction to defective cigarettes manufactured by R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris was the legal cause of his death.
The jury allocated fault 25% to R.J. Reynolds, 25% to Philip Morris, and 50% to Mr. Huish. The jury awarded damages of $750K to Mr. Huish's widow. That award will be reduced by 50%, the amount of Mr. Huish's fault.
The jury also found that punitive damages were warranted against both R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris. Therefore, the Huish trial will enter Phase 2, Punitive Damages, Wednesday morning at 9am Eastern.
CVN will webcast Phase 2 of the Huish tobacco trial live.