Tobacco.org

Ruling on asbestos case could undo tobacco deal 

A Supreme Court ruling on a class-action settlement in an asbestos case could impact the deal struck between Miami's Liggett Group, a cigarette manufacturer, and smokers who had filed health-related claims against the company. . . So-called limited fund settlements have often been used to bring an end to class-action cases, but the practice has been quite controversial.

One of the most controversial has been Liggett's settlement in tobacco litigation, which has been given tentative approval by an Alabama court. . . But the proposed settlement has been hotly contested at subsequent fairness hearings, facing charges that Liggett is paying too little. The case is currently before Alabama Circuit Judge Baxton Kittrell in Mobile, Ala., who is yet to make his final decision.

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