Eric Rosen argues R.J. Reynolds' decades-long concealment of smoking's dangers warrants punitive damages for the death of Elaine Konzelman, who developed fatal respiratory disease after smoking the company's cigarettes for years. Jurors awarded $20 million in punitives, brining the total award to nearly $29 million in the case.
Fort Lauderdale, FL—Jurors Tuesday imposed a $20 million punitive award against R.J. Reynolds for the role the tobacco company played in the fatal respiratory disease of a Florida smoker, bringing the total award in the case to nearly $29 million. Konzelman v. R.J. Reynolds, 2008-CV-019620.