Jones Day's Kevin Boyce convinced a Fort Launderdale jury that although Leonard Budnick died of lung cancer caused by smoking, an addiction to smoking was not the legal cause of Mr. Budnick's death; instead, Mr. Budnick smoked because he wanted to.
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Topics: Toxic Torts, Products Liability, Budnick v. Reynolds, Engle Progeny, Tobacco Litigation
In closing the liability phase of Budnick v. R.J. Reynolds, plaintiff attorney Stephen Hammer reminded the jury that the defense agreed that Lenny Budnick died from lung cancer caused by cigarettes. The only question in the case, said Mr. Hammer, was whether Mr. Budnick was addicted to cigarettes.
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Topics: Toxic Torts, Products Liability, Budnick v. Reynolds, Engle Progeny, Tobacco Litigation
Marcinkowski v. Golden Nugget involves a multi-story parking garage at the Golden Nugget casino in Las Vegas. Two vehicles broke through the guard rails and plunged to the ground, two- and four-stories below, killing or fatally injuring the vehicle occupants.
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Topics: Negligence, Marcinkowski v. Golden Nugget
In Crouch v. Playboy, Julie Crouch, a master control operator at Playboy TV who monitored the Playboy Channel for quality control, prevailed on her sexual harassment claim against co-worker Charles Dorn and Playboy.
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Topics: Employment Law
The jury in Piendle v. R.J. Reynolds returned a punitive damages verdict of $180K against R.J. Reynolds, and $90K against Philip Morris. The compensatory damages award in Phase 1 was $4M. The total punitive damages award, $270K, was approximately two orders of magnitude lower than the amount the plaintiff had suggested, and lower, even, than the $900K that the defense had suggested, if the jury believed that punitive damages were warranted.
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Topics: Toxic Torts, Products Liability, Engle Progeny, Tobacco Litigation, Piendle v. RJ Reynolds
