Tobacco.org

U.S. Tobacco Companies Found Not Liable in Tenn. Case (Update4) 

The jury agreed that cigarettes contributed in some way to Newcomb's death, though the companies' liability did not outweigh other factors, said foreman Rodney Marchand. The jury also determined that causes other than cigarettes contributed to the cancers that killed Karney and Bruch. ``It's more likely they died of kidney cancer and breast cancer,'' Marchand said of Karney and Bruch, respectively. ``Because they did not die of lung cancer, it could not have been caused by smoking.''

Tougher Case?

The fact that the Tennessee case combined three families' claims made it harder for them to win, said Raymond Thomas, one of the attorneys who won the $81 million Portland verdict. ``Bad things about one plaintiff's case are held against another plaintiff in the liability determination, which it appears is what occurred here,'' Thomas said.

Jump to full article »