Florida Smokers’ Lawsuits Continue to Result in Huge Damage Awards
A Supreme Court decision will allow thousands of individual Florida plaintiffs to continue with their cases against tobacco companies, likely resulting in more multi-million dollar awards like those issued in recent weeks to former smokers who have sued cigarette makers over their health problems.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court rejected a request by tobacco companies to review the trial structure of what are known as the Engle progeny cases in Florida.
Thousands of individual claims against tobacco companies are proceeding to trial in Florida after a 2006 decision by the Florida Supreme Court in Engle v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. That case vacated a class action verdict from 2000, which awarded $145 billion to an estimated 700,000 smokers, but allowed plaintiffs to file individual claims and use the liability findings from the class action trial.
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Learn MoreTobacco companies requested a review of the constitutionality of the trial structure. After the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the appeal earlier this month, Phillip Morris issued a press release indicating that it will continue to defend the individual lawsuits.
Earlier this month, a Palm Beach County jury awarded Kathleen Gafney Hanners $3.8 million for the death of her husband, Frank Gafney, who died of lung cancer in 1995. The jury ordered a total of $5.8 million in damages against Lorillard Tobacco Co. and R.J. Reynolds, but found Gafney 34% responsible for his inability to quit smoking, leading to the reduction in the final award.
Last week, another Florida jury awarded Lucinda Naugle $11.65 million in a case against Philip Morris. However, in this case the award may be seen as a success for the company, as an earlier jury awarded $300 million in damages for Naugle’s smoking health problems in November 2009, including emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. The company appealed the verdict and the Fourth District Court of Appeal threw out the original award and ordered a new damages trial.
While tobacco companies have attempted to argue that the Florida Engle Progeny trial structure is unfair and unconstitutional, because plaintiffs do not individually have to establish liability, plaintiffs maintain that they must still prove that the addiction caused the damages, as opposed to the damage being caused by the choice of the smoker to start smoking.
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2 Comments
BrendaSeptember 10, 2022 at 9:06 am
Have been smoking cigarettes since I was 18 years old so I've been smoking for 40 years so I am very addicted to my cigarettes I will cry I will throw a fit and if I don't have one I depended on my cigarettes to stay on a diet I depend on my cigarettes to stay awake longer I'll just smoke a couple more I'll be okay if I got mad or upset or nervous I just smoke a cigarette I absolutely relied on my[Show More]Have been smoking cigarettes since I was 18 years old so I've been smoking for 40 years so I am very addicted to my cigarettes I will cry I will throw a fit and if I don't have one I depended on my cigarettes to stay on a diet I depend on my cigarettes to stay awake longer I'll just smoke a couple more I'll be okay if I got mad or upset or nervous I just smoke a cigarette I absolutely relied on my cigarettes. I used to make jokes and say hey my cigarettes last longer than my men but all jokes set aside I've got COPD I've got a bad breathing problem I still have a bad addiction to these cigarettes and I can't quit but I'm also dying. Is the lawsuit still going on with the tobacco company if so I like to jump on this wagon because I am so so addicted and so love them it's just horrible for me to say that
SandraJune 4, 2017 at 2:01 am
I was diagnosed with stage 4 COPD at 53 yrs of age. I smoked Marlboros ultra lights because when I was in my early 20's advertisements stated wasy less tar and nicotine would be in my cigs. I was a pack of cig smoker a day and most times really didn't smoke full cig it just burned up. I have now been cig free for 9 yrs. I would like to know if I am eligible to be involved I class action suit. I t[Show More]I was diagnosed with stage 4 COPD at 53 yrs of age. I smoked Marlboros ultra lights because when I was in my early 20's advertisements stated wasy less tar and nicotine would be in my cigs. I was a pack of cig smoker a day and most times really didn't smoke full cig it just burned up. I have now been cig free for 9 yrs. I would like to know if I am eligible to be involved I class action suit. I think these companies completely deceived people and should be held accountable.