Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Judge Certifies Nationwide Class Action Suit Against Tobacco Companies
TBO ^ | 9/20/02 | Christina Cheddar

Posted on 09/20/2002 9:42:17 AM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection

In an unprecedented move, a federal district court judge has certified a nationwide, punitive-damage class-action suit against the tobacco industry.

The case, known as Simon II, consolidates all the tobacco-related litigation before U.S. District Court Judge Jack Weinstein to include the punitive-damages claims of all types of plaintiffs, including individual smokers, labor unions and health insurers. The certification was issued late Thursday.

Under a new law, the case will automatically be appealed to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. It will likely be months before that court will make a decision.

The case is named after lead plaintiff Ellis Simon, who has lung cancer. The plaintiffs allege the tobacco industry's use of deceptive marketing practices caused smokers' sicknesses and addictions. With the class certification, Simon II will represent anyone in the United States who has smoked, whether they became ill or not, since 1920.

Defendants in the case are Philip Morris Cos.; R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings Inc.; Lorillard Tobacco, a unit of Loews Corp.; Brown & Williamson, a unit of British American Tobacco PLC; and Liggett Group, a unit of Vector Group Ltd.

Tobacco stocks were trading lower on the news. At midday, shares of Dow component Philip Morris were off 4.1 percent at $42.86, while shares of Carolina Group, the stock that tracks Lorillard's performance, shed 5.5 percent to trade at $20.70.

In a written statement, Philip Morris said it will ask the appellate court to reject the class certification of the case and dismiss the claims.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Government
KEYWORDS: nationwidesuite; pufflist; tobaccocompanes
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-55 next last
To: wvnavyvet
And one more thing. A couple across town have givin birth to 6 genetically deformed kids. They send them to school, and they're free all day. The schools have all kinds of "free" programs for them. The parents do nothing.
They collect SS for each one of them. All medical bills are paid, operation after operation. The last just had open heart surgery.
Now, I can see wanting a child or two, but if you know your kids are going to grow up to be deformed, medically unable to survive without constant operations, and learning disabled, wouldn't you think about that before having 6 of them?
Neither parent has to work. They own a huge home, 2 new suvs, and an RV so they can travel when they get bored. They plan on having more children, because the mother just hit 30 and they want the money.
Are they not costing us in medical costs as well? How many people in America have found a way to scam the system? I would suggest going after fraud and abuse long before going after someone using a legal product sold at the local mini mart!

One mother at our local homeschhool group has a "learning disabled" son. She collects dissability for a "nervous" problem, too. She collects for her "disabled" son. The kid if just fine. The kids is really smart, and I'm amazed at how well he does his math. He's a normal boy, but she keeps comming up with things she finds wrong with him. "He has an anger problem", so now we're paying for him to go to the local school "for help."

This is the stuff that urks me. Tobacco illness costs are nothing compared to the money we taxpayers are dishing out to anyone who says "ouch. Fix my boo boo. When can I expect my check?"

21 posted on 09/20/2002 11:28:26 AM PDT by concerned about politics
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: wvnavyvet
What I still don't understand, since I heard this for over forty years is, what part of 'Cigarette smoking is bad for your health' didn't these people understand.

That doesn't appear to be the issue dude... Compare all those hefty folks trying to sue Mickey D's because "the french fries made 'em fat"...

The issue is, some damn ambulance chaser showed up on their doorstep and said "Pssst hey you, you wanna make some cash???"

22 posted on 09/20/2002 11:28:44 AM PDT by maxwell
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection
I wonder how many current smokers who complain about the about the "anti-smoker nazi's" will elect out of the class action suit ?
23 posted on 09/20/2002 11:30:40 AM PDT by VRWC_minion
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: VRWC_minion
I wonder how many current smokers who complain about the about the "anti-smoker nazi's" will elect out of the class action suit ?

Most, I would hope, except for the left wing leeches. If the litigation goes through, they'll be the ones who will end up paying more for their cigaretts to pay the .35 cents each awarded to the plantifs, and the kazillion dollars awarded to the trial lawyers (that will end up at the DNC).

24 posted on 09/20/2002 11:37:23 AM PDT by concerned about politics
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: concerned about politics
Nah, they just sell more smokes overseas.
25 posted on 09/20/2002 11:38:55 AM PDT by dfwgator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: concerned about politics
Human nature being what it is, I predict none. They'll want to play both sides of the fence.
26 posted on 09/20/2002 11:40:35 AM PDT by VRWC_minion
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator
Nah, they just sell more smokes overseas.

I still think people should start growing their own if they want it. Burly tobacco seeds are often found in seed catalogs. Let it go to seed, and plant again next year. The best defence is a good offence. It's your property, it's legal, so screw them. Just say "no" to socialism.
If the nation chose to do that, what could they say? What could liberals do? Who would pay for social programs then?
The liberals - 0
Tobacco smokers - 1

27 posted on 09/20/2002 11:44:02 AM PDT by concerned about politics
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: concerned about politics
My point is that if they think they are going to kill of the tobacco companies, they got another thing coming. There are a billion potential Chinese smokers out there.
28 posted on 09/20/2002 11:46:21 AM PDT by dfwgator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: concerned about politics
Can one grow their own cheaper ?
29 posted on 09/20/2002 11:49:40 AM PDT by VRWC_minion
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator
My point is that if they think they are going to kill of the tobacco companies, they got another thing coming. There are a billion potential Chinese smokers out there.

What I'd like to know is how the liberal politicians would survive without that tobacco tax comming in. There's big money in that there plant!
Even if the companies shut down for only a month, the feds would be hurting for that elusive tax dollar.

30 posted on 09/20/2002 11:51:45 AM PDT by concerned about politics
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: VRWC_minion
Can one grow their own cheaper ?

Sure. Seeds are cheap, cheap, cheap. Plant it like spinich. Save seeds for the following year. You'd only have to buy them once.

31 posted on 09/20/2002 11:53:27 AM PDT by concerned about politics
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: maxwell
Dunkin Donuts better watch out, those things aren't called fat pills as a joke. You read the other day than beer increases the female hormone levels in your body. So the flab hanging over those beer bellies are breasts. Kramer's (Steinfeld) male bra may not be so far fetched.
32 posted on 09/20/2002 11:53:28 AM PDT by wvnavyvet
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: concerned about politics
Plant it like spinich

You are not factoring in costs like labor, land etc. If I were smoking the cost of growing it myself would be very expensive assuming the climate here in NE would give me a good year round source.

33 posted on 09/20/2002 12:01:41 PM PDT by VRWC_minion
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection
And the steam roller keeps right on rollong, when is some court going to say enough.

If i were big tobacco, I would pack up and leave the country, of course had big tobacco fought back in the first place, I doubt if this would be happening, they set themselves up to be screwed, blued and tattooed.

34 posted on 09/20/2002 1:11:18 PM PDT by Great Dane
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: poet
Hmmm. Is it possible to file a class action suit against judges and lawyers for their dupilicity and political activism?

It ought to be possible, lawyers and judges in todays society, are way more dangerous than tobacco.

35 posted on 09/20/2002 1:13:05 PM PDT by Great Dane
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: VRWC_minion
I wonder how many current smokers who complain about the about the "anti-smoker nazi's" will elect out of the class action suit ?

If I can find out how I will.
I'm not so stupid that I want someone else to take reponsibility for MY decisions.

36 posted on 09/20/2002 1:14:33 PM PDT by Just another Joe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: VRWC_minion
here's one....also, why don't the sue the military..all c-rats had free smokes in them..some guys didn't even smoke till they were in the field and started smoking the freebies in the c-rats.
37 posted on 09/20/2002 1:19:38 PM PDT by cajun-jack
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: concerned about politics
Same story here, know someone who went on disablity right out of high school, claimed she was an abused child, was afraid of crowds and afraid to be out alone.... funny thing is, she has no trouble going cycling by herself, or to the movies, as far as crowds goes, she goes to endless new age thingies.
She gets called in for an interview once a year, they ask her if she can work, she says no.

Notice, I didn't call her a friend.

38 posted on 09/20/2002 1:22:09 PM PDT by Great Dane
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: cajun-jack
here's one....also, why don't the sue the military

I think they should only be able to sue the person who put that first cigarette into their mouth. That's what started the addiction. Sue the hell out of that person. Why, if it weren't for that person, they wouldn't be ill today. Wait a minute, sick smokers would have to sue themselves! Who'd a thunk it?

39 posted on 09/20/2002 1:24:48 PM PDT by concerned about politics
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: VRWC_minion
They'll want to play both sides of the fence.

You really think you know it all, don't you.

40 posted on 09/20/2002 1:26:22 PM PDT by Great Dane
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-55 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson