A Jacksonville man is the first person to collect a judgment, $1.1-million, from Big Tobacco.
Jump to full article: St. Petersburg (FL) Times, 2001-07-16
Author: THOMAS C. TOBIN
Intro: By 1947, at age 17, he was smoking Lucky Strikes to keep up with his high school classmates in Jacksonville. He kept smoking for another 44 years.
Today, despite a lifetime of contributing to the tobacco industry, Carter, 71, has become a national icon for the anti-smoking movement.
After a bout with cancer that took one of his lungs and a personal epiphany that led him to sue the manufacturers of Lucky Strikes, he is the first individual to slip past Big Tobacco's mighty legal defenses and collect a judgment from a cigarette maker.
The outcome became official two weeks ago . .
Brown & Williamson spokesman Mark Smith said the company remains confident about defending similar cases in the future. Carter still smiles at Smith's words after the company sent him his check.
"Our suggestion to Mr. Wilner is don't go out and spend the money," the company spokesman said confidently.
Chuckled Carter: "Brown & Williamson told me a lot of things that weren't true."
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