Broward Jury Awards $37M To The Estate of Chain Smoker

Broward Jury Awards $37M To The Estate of Chain Smoker

Introduction

The jury at a Broward County, Florida, awarded $37 million to the family of a smoker who died as a result of lung cancer and COPD, in a wrongful death lawsuit filed against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and Philip Morris USA Inc.

The lawsuit was filed by the victim's family, who claimed that she died from complications caused due to her addiction to R.J. Reynolds' cigarettes, which she started smoking in her teenage years. Her attorney told, she was hooked to the nicotine in cigarettes and blamed the company's advertising campaigns for her addiction. The campaigns promoted cigarettes as a safer and healthier option since it was sold under a filtered brand. She had quit smoking when diagnosed with cancer and removed a lung seven years prior to her death.

The family was awarded $12 million in compensatory damages and $25 million in punitive damages by the jury. R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris USA were held 90% liable for the woman's cancer and death.

There are thousands of such "Engle progeny" cases from the Florida Supreme Court overturning a $145 billion verdict against the companies. The count of the plaintiffs is close to 700,000.