Jump to full article: Bloomberg News, 2003-02-28
Author: William McQuillen
Intro: Philip Morris USA and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., the two largest U.S. cigarette makers, were cleared by a jury of responsibility for a longtime smoker's death.
Relatives claimed James Robert Allen was addicted to cigarettes as a youth and they accused the tobacco companies of targeting minors with advertising and lying to the public about the health risks of smoking. The suit sought $5 million in compensation from Philip Morris, a unit of Altria Group Inc., and R.J. Reynolds, a unit of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings Inc.
The victory was the latest by cigarette makers in suits by individual smokers. The companies lost two mulibillion dollar verdicts in such cases on the West Coast, while fending off similar claims elsewhere. Analysts hadn't viewed the Allen case as a serious threat to the companies.
``Mr. Allen was well aware of the risks of smoking and accepted those risks,'' Philip Morris Associate General Counsel William Ohlemeyer said. ``The law does not permit a person who makes an informed decision to smoke recover damages in a case like this.''
Jump to full article » |