LAWSUITS NEWS & LEGAL INFORMATION
Philip Morris to Pay $300 Million in Tobacco Lawsuit
This is a settlement for the Personal Injury lawsuit.
New York, NY: A 61-year old Florida resident has won her lawsuit against the tobacco giant Philip Morris, and been awarded a $300 million settlement. Philip Morris has stated it will appeal the decision, but if the verdict holds, the settlement will be the largest award of damages for an individual lawsuit against a tobacco company in the US.
Lucinda Naugle started smoking when she was 20 and quit at 45. However, she now has emphysema and requires a lung transplant, which she cannot afford.
The jury in the case assigned 90 percent of the liability for her smoking and illness to Philip Morris, and 10 percent to Naugle. The decision speaks to a ruling in 2006 by the Florida Supreme Court which stated that plaintiffs filing suits against tobacco companies would not have to prove that nicotine is addictive, that smoking causes adverse health effects and disease, and that cigarette companies fraudulently hid those facts from the public.
Should the settlement stand on appeal, it could pave the way for thousands more similar lawsuits in Florida.
Published on Nov-23-09
Lucinda Naugle started smoking when she was 20 and quit at 45. However, she now has emphysema and requires a lung transplant, which she cannot afford.
The jury in the case assigned 90 percent of the liability for her smoking and illness to Philip Morris, and 10 percent to Naugle. The decision speaks to a ruling in 2006 by the Florida Supreme Court which stated that plaintiffs filing suits against tobacco companies would not have to prove that nicotine is addictive, that smoking causes adverse health effects and disease, and that cigarette companies fraudulently hid those facts from the public.
Should the settlement stand on appeal, it could pave the way for thousands more similar lawsuits in Florida.
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