Posted on 07/19/2014 11:24:15 PM PDT by Innovative
A Florida jury has awarded the widow of a chain smoker who died of lung cancer punitive damages of more than $23 billion in her lawsuit against the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, the nation's second-biggest cigarette maker.
The judgment, returned on Friday night, was the largest in Florida history in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by a single plaintiff, according to Ryan Julison, a spokesman for the woman's lawyer, Chris Chestnut.
After a four-week trial and 11 hours of jury deliberations, the jury returned a verdict granting the widow $7.3 million and the couple's son $9.6 million in compensatory damages.
The same jury deliberated for another seven hours before deciding to award Robinson the additional sum of $23.6 billion in punitive damages, according to the verdict forms.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
If I’m not mistaken, this award can be appealed. I could be wrong, so if anyone on here is a legal beagle - please inform us.
I’ll bet some of those jury members could not tell you the difference between a million and a billion. Even were this for “only” $23. Million dollars, that would still be way too much money. This adult make a choice to use this legal product. The tobacco lawyers are slipping if they allow a ridiculous sum as this to go to the jury.
Its stunning this wasn’t thrown out. I have no faith in the courts overturning this absurd reward. Maybe a miracle will happen and this decision is overturned.
Reynolds will have to recruit a lot of new smokers to pay off this judgment.
these kinds of stories illustrate the sheer idiocy and incredibly false stance of the libertarian mindset on drugs. which is that they don’t hurt anyone else. we don’t live in vacuums and others are hurt by self-destructive behavior of loved ones.
Some of old geezers came from a time when smoking was looked at differently. Every other commercial was a cigarette commercial the others were for beer, whiskey or wine. Every box of C-RATS had a four pack of cigarette’s and a small pack of matches. The first cigarette I ever smoked was provided to me by the US Government in 1969.
The message being that Florida will put really dumb people on its juries? For the obvious tax reasons, I've considered buying a retirement place in Florida, but this stuff is scary.
The FDA says no they are not harmless to those around. They are still putting chemical laden vapors into the air. They are thought to be less harmful than cigarettes but it's s different mix of chemicals.
23B? I’m sure the check is in the mail.
You’re going to trust the FDA?
Do you also trust the EPA?
Did you just fall off of a turnip truck?
The FDA is a federal bureaucracy who's power, authority, and budget increases with the list if things they find that need to be regulated.
Never accept anything they say without seeing the evidence for yourself.
Beverly Sills died of lung cancer. She never smoked.
My dad was a 2-pack-a-day, unfiltered Raleigh “plain” chimney since after his service in WWII. Had the smoker’s cough but no lung cancer.
I smoked for a few years back in the day. Put them down one day and never picked ‘em up again.
There is so much more to tobacco & lung cancer that has to do with an individuals “pre-disposition” than we are aware of.
The Lord will take you when He wants you. Ain’t nothing you can do about it. So everyday, tell those you love how you feel, just in case you are called.
So cigarettes should be illegal?
I once was a chain smoker. I smoked 5 packs a day, 7 days a week, 12 months a year.
22 years ago I quit “cold turkey” because my breathing was so affected by it that I could hardly breathe and had to do something or else the future really, really looked bad. So I quit.
It took a long time, but after 22 years, my breathing has recovered NATURALLY by about 80% and I really feel fine. Better yet, the house and car don’t reek with the smell of smoke.
The point is: I knew of the risks from the start. As time went on those risks were promoted by all means and the warnings were clear. I clearly dismissed all warnings and kept on smoking.
Amazingly, I don’t have lung cancer but if I did, I sure as hell would not sue the makers of cigarettes. That’s kind of like filing a lawsuit on GOD because he caused someone to drive through a “low water crossing” and drowned.
Thanks to the “Legal Industry” personal responsibility equals someone else is responsible for your delima....not you. You are not held accountable for anything any longer...someone or something else caused it.
It was mentioned in the article that the company plans to appeal.
“...They are still putting chemical laden vapors into the air...”
And..........your automobile doesn’t?
The one left cheering here is R.J. Reynolds, because the Supreme Court has previously ruled that an award of punitive damages more than 10x actual damages is unconstitutional.
As long as the government allows a product to be sold, while enforcing that company to put warning labels on said product, this ruling has no standing.
Look for it to be thrown out after a few more lawyers line their pockets.
Remember, this is the same government who condemns smoking tobacco and at the same time is promoting legalizing the smoking of marijuana.
If you smoke, you take your life in your own hands, and if you die from it, tuff $#!t buddy!
But I support personal responsibility - smoke if you want - and die if you will.
HEY, I’m willing to start smoking to get my heirs onto this gravy train.
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