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
MIAMI, Fla.— After an emergency rendered a juror unable to continue deliberations, a Florida 11th Circuit Court judge declared a mistrial Friday in the case of a smoker suing the nation's second-largest tobacco company over the cancer that took her larynx. Morales v. R.J. Reynolds, 07-CA-16277.
Topics: Negligence, Products Liability, tobacco, Florida, Morales v. R.J. Reynolds
Ray Persons tells jurors Robert Mathis did not show symptoms of lung cancer until after the November 21, 1996 cutoff date for Engle class membership during openings of trial against R.J. Reynolds for Mathis's death.
Miami, FL—A Florida man who died of lung cancer after smoking 2 to 3 packs of cigarettes a day for nearly 50 years developed the disease after the bar date for filing a class action claim against the nation's tobacco companies, an attorney defending R.J. Reynolds said Friday in the trial's opening statements. Mathis v. R.J. Reynolds, 2007-CA-47118.
Topics: Negligence, Products Liability, tobacco, engle, 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
