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Imperial Tobacco Escapes Damages in U.K. Court Case (Update3) 

Imperial Tobacco Group Plc, Europe's second-biggest cigarette maker, escaped a damages award in a case brought by a Scottish widow whose husband died from lung cancer. The shares climbed as much as 3.2 percent.

Margaret McTear had sued for 500,000 pounds ($1 million), claiming her late husband Alfred became addicted to smoking before health warnings appeared on cigarette packets. The claim was dismissed by the Court of Session, Scotland's highest civil court.

The case against Bristol, England-based Imperial Tobacco, the maker of Davidoff cigarettes, was the first of its kind in the U.K. to go to a full hearing. Smokers in the country have never successfully sued a cigarette company. Around 106,000 Britons die from smoking-related diseases ever year, accounting for a fifth of all U.K. deaths, according to Action on Smoking and Health. . . .

Imperial Tobacco was ``please but not surprised'' by the decision, according to a statement. ``We have never lost or settled any tobacco litigation and will continue to defend ourselves robustly against any further speculative claims,'' the company said.

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