Jump to full article: Bloomberg News, 2001-04-05
Author: William McQuillen
Intro: Philip Morris Cos. and other U.S. tobacco companies aren't liable for what may be the fatal illness of a veteran flight attendant who blamed second-hand smoke for her ``death sentence,'' a Miami jury decided.
The six jurors deliberated a little less than six hours before rejecting a claim by former Trans World Airlines Inc. flight attendant Marie Fontana. . .
``Her illness is not caused by exposure to environmental tobacco smoke,'' said Ken Reilly, a lawyer for Philip Morris and Loews Corp.'s Lorillard Inc. unit. This is ``hopefully a clear indication of what should happen with the remaining cases.''
An attorney for Fontana said the case doesn't necessarily mean the end of thousands of other pending second-hand lawsuits by flight attendants.
``The jury's not always right,'' said Philip Gerson, a lawyer for Fontana. He said the case was pushed to trial faster than other flight attendant suits because Fontana's health is failing.
``If we didn't get a trial now, she probably wouldn't live long enough to get a trial,'' he said.
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