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• State Supreme Court Affirms Defense Verdict in West Virgina Medical Monitoring Lawsuit 

Philip Morris USA said today's decision by the West Virginia Supreme Court affirming the defense jury verdict in the first tobacco medical monitoring class action ever tried is consistent with established law and the facts of the case.

"The jury had little trouble with the facts of the case, it took the jurors less than two days to reach a decision and the Supreme Court recognized the validity of this jury's verdict in rejecting the plaintiffs' appeal," said William S. Ohlemeyer, Philip Morris USA vice president and associate general counsel.

In its ruling, the state's highest court upheld a Nov. 14, 2001 jury verdict in favor of Philip Morris USA and the nation's other major tobacco companies in a class-action case seeking medical monitoring for most of the state's healthy smokers and many former smokers who have not contracted a smoking-related illness.

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