Jump to full article: Sunday Mail (QLD) (au), 2002-06-11
Intro: Emphysema sufferer Myriam Cauvin, 39, from Blaxland, west of Sydney, today launched the second of two cases in the NSW Supreme Court against British American Tobacco, Philip Morris and Imperial Tobacco.
In a lengthy statement of claim filed today, Ms Cauvin alleges the companies engaged in a conspiracy to mislead, conceal and influence authorities to ensure the truth about the harmful effects of tobacco smoking was not revealed.
Outside the court, her lawyer Maurice Max said the case was different from previous personal injury actions because the heart of the allegations was conspiracy.
Ms Cauvin, a lung transplant recipient, is accusing the tobacco companies of breaching the federal Trade Practices Act and the NSW Fair Trading Act.
In a second action, she is seeking to have the companies hand back $200 million in taxes invalidly collected.
She is fighting to have the money transferred to a fund to compensate smokers for the cost of quitting and for associated health problems.
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