Miami, FL—Jurors sided with the widow of a longtime Florida smoker who died of lung cancer, awarding her $5 million in compensatory damages and rejecting claims by the tobacco company that the lawsuit was time-barred. Mathis v. R.J. Reynolds, 2007-CA-47118.
Topics: Negligence, Products Liability, tobacco, Engle Progeny, Florida, Mathis v. R.J. Reynolds
Miami, FL—A former insurance executive who underwent open-heart surgery after smoking for 30 years told jurors cigarettes controlled his life so completely it was all he thought about by the time he finally quit, as trial against cigarette-maker R.J. Reynolds got underway this week. Wilkins v. R.J. Reynolds, 15-2007-CA-20.15-2007-CA-20.
Topics: Negligence, Products Liability, tobacco, Engle Progeny, Florida, Wilkins v. R.J. Reynolds
Miami, FL—The daughter of a decades-long smoker said her father suffered from lung cancer symptoms long before the cutoff date for filing suit under a Florida class action against the nation's tobacco companies, as trial continued this week against R.J. Reynolds. Mathis v. R.J. Reynolds, 2007-CA-47118.
Topics: Products Liability, tobacco, Engle Progeny, Florida, Mathis v. R.J. Reynolds
Jonathan Gdanski delivers his closing argument for his client, Joseph Varner, who claims tobacco industry deception caused his wife, Virginia's, nicotine addiction and fatal cancer. Jurors awarded Varner $1.5 million Tuesday.
Fort Lauderdale, FL—A Florida jury Tuesday found nicotine addiction and Philip Morris cigarettes caused a 40-year smoker's fatal cancer and awarded her widower $1.5 million in compensatory damages. But, it rejected any punitive payout and cleared R.J. Reynolds of liability. Varner v. R.J. Reynolds.
Topics: Negligence, Products Liability, tobacco, Engle Progeny, Florida, Varner v. R.J. Reynolds
Scott Schlesinger tells jurors tobacco industry marketing was designed to hide the dangers of smoking and led to Virginia Varner's icotine addiction and death. Varner's husband Joseph is suing R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris, makers of the cigarettes his wife smoked.
Fort Lauderdale, FL—Attorneys battled over whether tobacco industry deception or a smoker’s own decisions caused her fatal lung cancer, as trial opened against R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris Tuesday. Varner v. R.J. Reynolds.
Topics: Negligence, Products Liability, tobacco, Engle Progeny, Florida, Varner v. R.J. Reynolds
