Gary Paige delivers his closing argument against R.J. Reynolds, accused of responsibility for the lung cancer death of Evelyn Whitmire, 46, who smoked for more than 25 years. Jurors awarded Whitmire's husband $3 million in compensatory damages. 

Update 4/3/17: Parties announced Monday that they reached a confidential settlement on punitive damages. 

Tallahassee—A day after awarding $3 million in compensatory damages for the role R.J. Reynolds played in the lung cancer death of a 46-year-old smoker, Florida state court jurors Wednesday declared themselves at an impasse over punitive damages, forcing a mistrial in that phase of trial against the tobacco company. Whitmire v. R.J. Reynolds, 2015CA002337. 

Scott Fischer delivers his opening statement in Harrison v. West Boca Medical Center. 

A Florida hospital staff's negligence caused a once-independent senior to suffer a fall that has left her restricted to a walker for the rest of her life, an attorney for the woman’s family said as trial opened Tuesday against the hospital. Harrison v. West Boca Medical Center, 2016-CA-009017.

Stock image. 

West Palm Beach, FL—A Florida woman was left in a permanent vegetative state because a hospital’s operating room lacked the necessary equipment to treat her brain bleed, an attorney for the woman’s guardian told jurors as trial opened Wednesday against the hospital. Chan v. Tenet St. Mary's Medical Center, 2015CA008359. 

 Lakiesha Cannon delivers her opening statement in Santoro v. R.J. Reynolds, et al. 

Fort Lauderdale, FL—A woman’s hopeless addiction to cigarettes was driven by tobacco deceit that led to her fatal lung cancer, an attorney for the woman’s widower said during Tuesday's openings of a rare Florida state court trial against three of the nation’s four largest cigarette makers. Santoro v. R.J. Reynolds, et al., 2008-CV-025807(19).

The following is a guest post courtesy of David H. Schwartz, Ph.D. of Innovative Science Solutions LLC and Nathan Schachtman, Esq.