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Gov. Matt Blunt on Thursday criticized a $20 million judgment against a tobacco company as an "egregious" example of a court system in need of reform.
Blunt's comments came a day after a Jackson County jury awarded the punitive damages to the family of deceased smoker Barbara Smith, of Lee's Summit.
Jurors also awarded $2 million in actual damages, but Smith's family will get just $500,000 of that because the jury found Smith 75 percent at fault and Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. -- the makers of Kool cigarettes -- 25 percent at fault.
Blunt, a Republican, has called for caps on punitive damages as part of his legislative package. . . .
Rep. Richard Byrd, R-Kirkwood and the chief sponsor of the "tort reform" legislation, called Smith's case a prime example of what he is trying to stop. . . . .
The family's attorney, Ken McClain, argued during the trial that cigarette makers must be held accountable . . . .
"I would be surprised if, on reflection, Republican lawmakers want to side with tobacco companies that kill people for a living," said McClain, adding: "One of the problems you have is that people are driving the debate for political gain as opposed to merit." . . .
Sen. Delbert Scott, R-Lowry City and the chief Senate sponsor of the bill, said he included the punitive damages cap in this year's version primarily at Byrd's initiative. But Scott said he might support an exception to the cap in some types of cases -- perhaps in tobacco lawsuits.
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A jury has awarded the family of a woman who smoked for nearly 50 years more than $20 million in a wrongful death lawsuit against the maker of Kool cigarettes, the largest total judgment against a tobacco company in Missouri.
The Jackson County jury awarded the family of Barbara Smith, of Lee's Summit, $20 million in punitive damages on Wednesday, a day after ordering $2 million in actual damages.
The family will get only $500,000 of the $2 million in actual damages because the jury found Smith to be 75 percent at fault and Brown & Williamson to be 25 percent at fault. . . .
Edward L. Sweda Jr., an attorney for the Tobacco Products Liability Project, said the award was the fifth largest of 14 judgments nationwide against tobacco companies.
"The problem for Brown & Williamson is that there are potentially millions of plaintiffs down the road," Sweda said. . . .
The plaintiffs' star witness was Jeffrey Wigand, a former vice president of research and development for Brown & Williamson. His complaints against tobacco companies eventually led to huge settlements with all states to recoup health costs.
Wigand, who has a doctorate in biochemistry, testified that he was sent to a law firm when he was hired by Brown & Williamson.
"We were not to admit nicotine was addictive," Wigand said. "It was contradictory to what I knew. I didn't think lawyers would ever teach me science."
A Jackson County jury today awarded a Lee's Summit family $20 million in punitive damages against the maker of Kool cigarettes.
The family of Barbara Smith sued Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation in a wrongful-death lawsuit, alleging the company hid the adverse health effects of cigarettes. Smith had smoked Kool cigarettes for nearly 50 years before dying of a heart attack in 2000.
Brown & Williamson said the risks of cigarettes were well known. Moreover, Smith died 10 years after she quit smoking.
Dr. Jeffrey Wigand, renowned tobacco whistleblower and subject of the movie "The Insider," will testify in Independence today at a wrongful death trial against Brown and Williamson, the country's third largest cigarette manufacturer and marketer.
Attorney Ken McClain, representing the family of Barbara Smith, called Wigand as a fact witness. . . .
The case involves the death of Barbara Smith, a Lee's Summit woman who smoked Kool cigarettes for more than 50 years. She died in 2000 of a heart attack. She also suffered from lung cancer and emphysema. She quit smoking in 1990 when she was diagnosed with emphysema.
"We're proving that Brown and Williamson, the tobacco company, knew that their customers were at risk, but did not inform them," McClain said.
Jeffrey Wigand, renowned whistle-blower on the tobacco industry, completed his testimony Wednesday afternoon in an ongoing wrongful death lawsuit against Brown and Williamson. Brown and Williamson is the third largest U.S. cigarette maker.
Kenneth McClain, Independence attorney, called Wigand Monday as a witness for the defense. McClain is representing the family of Barbara Smith, a former smoker who died of a heart attack in 2000. Smith smoked Kool cigarettes, a product of Brown and Williamson tobacco company, for more than 50 years. She also suffered from lung cancer and emphysema prior to her death.
Wigand testified that Brown and Williamson denied cigarettes are addictive and harmful when, according to Wigand, the company had internal documents saying otherwise. Wigand said the mantra of company executive T.S. Sandefur was, "We're in the nicotine delivery business and tar is the negative excess baggage." Another slogan Wigand said Sandefur often repeated was, "Hook 'em young and hook 'em for life."
Jeffrey Wigand, "The Insider" of Hollywood fame, testified Tuesday in a wrongful-death lawsuit in Jackson County Circuit Court in Independence.
Wigand, the former vice president of research and development for tobacco giant Brown & Williamson, exposed industry secrets to "60 Minutes" after he was fired. The case inspired the movie "The Insider," starring Russell Crowe as Wigand.
Wigand testified on behalf of the family of Barbara Smith, who died in 2000 of a heart attack.