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Atlanta, GA— Whether a 2016 big rig crash ended a Georgia trucker’s career, and the reaction of another trucker to his post-crash drug testing were key issues Wednesday as a damages trial opened against a concrete supplier and one of its drivers. Love, et al. v. Ready Mix USA, LLC, et al., 18EV003461.  

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Tampa, FL— Jurors last week handed down a $1.5 million verdict for a Florida smoker’s respiratory disease-related death, but apportioned less than half the responsibility for the fatal illness to defendant R.J. Reynolds.  Hancock v. R.J. Reynolds, 2009-CA-018859.

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Tampa, FL— Attorneys Wednesday debated why a Florida man continued to smoke for decades, including roughly a dozen years after he was diagnosed with respiratory disease, as trial opened against R.J. Reynolds over his death. Hancock v. R.J. Reynolds, 2009-CA-018859.

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Woburn, MA— A Massachusetts state court jury Monday awarded $4.2 million to the family of a woman who died of lung cancer following years of smoking, after finding tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds responsible for her death. Hunt v. R.J. Reynolds, 1881-CV-00446. 

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Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect a continuance in the case. 

Brunswick, GA— What would have likely been a first in-the-nation state court trial over private plaintiffs’ claims related to the opioid epidemic was continued on Monday, when jury selection was scheduled to begin. Trial in the case is now expected no earlier than the second half of 2022. Poppell, et al. v Cardinal Health Inc., et al., CE19-00472.