Tag Archives: Philip Morris

Anti-tobacco forces and the plaintiffs’ bar are hailing a recent $75-million Florida jury verdict for the survivor of a man who died of lung cancer 20 years ago as a landmark in the fight to bring tobacco companies to justice. Although plaintiffs have been mostly successful in cases that have gone to trial since the Florida Supreme Court paved the way with an important ruling in 2006, none can match the scope of the victory achieved by plaintiff Marvine Calloway …

  Fatal menage a trois leads to $3 million verdict You just can’t make this stuff up, folks. The family of a man who died while having hot and heavy sex the night before he was due for a heart check-up won a $3 million jury award against his cardiologist for not warning him about the dangers of, um, getting too physical. William Martinez, a 31 year-old married father of two sons, had high blood pressure and signs of clogged …

Big tobacco companies are exposed to billions of dollars in damages in Florida smokers’ lawsuits now that the they’ve lost their attempt to overturn multi-million dollar verdicts when the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear their appeal. The high court let stand four verdicts in favor of smokers, totaling over $53 million, including a $28.3 million award to Mathilde Martin for the death of her husband, Benny, from lung cancer after a lifetime of smoking Camels and Lucky Strikes. …

Longtime smoker of “light” cigarettes wins $25 million verdict A jury punished cigarette maker Philip Morris with a $25 million punitive damages verdict awarded to the family of a longtime smoker of Merit Lights cigarettes. Michelle Schwarz began smoking when she was 18 and switched to the low-tar variety 12 years later, in 1976, when Philip Morris introduced the brand. Although her husband, Richard, kicked his smoking habit in 1968, Michelle continued to smoke a pack a day and died …