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Posted on 07/19/2014 5:14:51 PM PDT by Citizen Zed
A Florida jury has slammed a tobacco company with $23.6 billion in punitive damages in a lawsuit filed by the widow of a longtime smoker who died of lung cancer in 1996.
The case is one of thousands filed in Florida after the state Supreme Court in 2006 tossed out a $145 billion class action verdict. That ruling also said smokers and their families need only prove addiction and that smoking caused their illnesses or deaths.
"The jury wanted to send a statement that tobacco cannot continue to lie to the American people and the American government about the addictiveness of and the deadly chemicals in their cigarettes," said one of the woman's attorneys, Christopher Chestnut
Reynolds' vice president and assistant general counsel, Jeffery Raborn, called the damages in Robinson's case "grossly excessive and impermissible under state and constitutional law."
(Excerpt) Read more at mob.cnbc.com ...
the tobacco industry does not lie to the users....on the side of every package are health warnings....heed them or shut the F.U.
24 billion? Why not just make it 24 zillion?
After all, the person who smoked for 45 years didn’t know that they were bad for them.
Who can I blame my Leukemia on?
I never smoked, have a Beer once in a while, never did Drugs. Spent most of my Life working my butt off.
Darn it, I want a Private Jet and a Yacht before I check out. Heck, I’ll be lucky to get one Check from Social Security before I go, and I gave those guys $200,000.
Life isn’t fair, WAAAAAAAAA...
The jury ruined any chance the family had of getting an appropriately large verdict (judgement) that could stand. They’ve seen Rainmaker one too many times.
On the other hand, I'm fairly certain I won't be suing myself....
/johnny
This is just another one of those “JURY RULINGS” that don’t make any sense at all. Any one born in this country, that doesn’t know that “NICOTENE” is very addictive is either an idiot or a charlatan. And every lawyer that takes up the case of an individual that died from smoking is the biggest charlatan of them all
> $23.6 billion in punitive damages in a lawsuit filed by the widow of a longtime smoker who died of lung cancer in 1996.
The tobacco company held a gun to his head too.
For a small fraction of that amount, the tobacco company could arrange little accidents for everyone involved in the suit.
There are multiple FReepers who claim it isn't addicting.
Actually the tobacco companies had a chance to not have to deal with this, but they BLEW IT.
Florida sued them 10 or 15 years ago. I remember hearing that it was the first time in history that a state had sued an industry in that manner.
The tobacco companies, at that moment, should have pulled their products off the shelves in Florida, stating that it is unfriendly business climate. The state would have been slammed IMMEDIATELY with the loss of revenue (and it was significant), as people would have bought out of state.
...but no, the companies didn’t fight back - in fact they “settled” in a way that is simply a back-door tax. So, no, let them rot for their stupidity.
Look, I smoke, Have smoked since I was 8 years old. I’ve tried quitting, but cannot, because it’s very addictive. What I’m saying is that since it’s nobody’s business what I do with my body, I can’t say to the company that supplied me with my choice of relaxation, YOU OWE ME LOTS AND LOTS OF MONEY, CAUSE I USED YOUR PRODUCT. No one held a gun to my head and forced me to use that product.
i don't believe it....it is a very bad habit, but there are no withdrawl penalties for quitting....I smoked, more than 1 1/2 packs a day for years....one night, after bowling, we sat in the bar, I ran out of cigarettes (there was a machine right behind me) and decided to quit....I did...years later I smoked a few mini-cigars while I played golf....decided that it was not a good idea and stopped.....just stop buying cigarettes or cigars....at their price, very few people will offer you a free one!!!!
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