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,...
