Tobacco.org

Supreme Court rejects Philip Morris appeal of award  

The total punitive damages would be the largest amount paid by a tobacco company in an individual product-liability case, according to Edward L. Sweda Jr., senior attorney for the Tobacco Products Liability Project at Northeastern University. The group is a division of the Public Health Advocacy Institute, a legal research center whose focus includes tobacco control.

"This $155 million for just one case portends very badly for the [cigarette] companies, which are facing more cases," Sweda said. "There are thousands of individual cases pending in Florida alone."

Philip Morris said it would challenge the 60 percent of the payment that would go to the state of Oregon. If it prevails, the company said it would be obligated to pay only the remaining 40 percent of the award to the plaintiff.

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