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Economy
Jury says Reynolds must pay $23.6 billion
2014-07-21
[NEWS-RECORD] R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. was hit Friday with $23.6 billion in punitive damages by a Florida jury, one of the largest such awards in U.S. corporate and legal history.

A jury in a Florida state court determined Thursday that the widow of Michael Johnson Sr., Cynthia Robinson, should receive $17 million in compensatory damages in the case even though the jury had determined Johnson was 30 percent responsible for his own illness.

"We hope this verdict will send a message to R.J. Reynolds and other big tobacco companies that will force them to stop putting the lives of innocent people in jeopardy," plaintiff attorney Willie Gary said in a statement Friday.

Though the punitive damages award is staggering — 75 percent of Reynolds American's market capitalization — there is ample legal precedent that the amount is likely to be ruled excessive by a state appeals or state Supreme Court, and possibly thrown out or drastically reduced.
Posted by:Fred

#8  There should be no such thing as punitive damages. If the government is going to punish someone for misdeeds, I want to have a vote in it through my legislators. In other words, punishment only through violation of duly enacted laws, not by the whims & emotions of jurors manipulated by a tort lawyer, which is what happened in this case.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2014-07-21 13:20  

#7  I might also add that with private, non-subsidized health insurance, the insurance companies might well be expected to jack up the premiums for smokers to cover the inevitable expenses. Under ObamaCare, we'll all be subsidizing the likes of Michael Johnson Sr. and their bad habits while Obama tries to outlaw guns.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2014-07-21 11:55  

#6  If they're gonna sue anybody it should be the federal government for not banning the cultivation and sale of tobacco, just like they used to do with marijuana. R.J. Reynolds has complied with all applicable federal and state laws. How can you sue them?
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2014-07-21 11:47  

#5  Noticably, this was not filed in a Tort Reform state, like Texas, which caps punitive damages.
Posted by: OldSpook   2014-07-21 11:14  

#4  The widows of rock climber should start suing rope manufacturers.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2014-07-21 10:26  

#3  For decades cigarettes have been called coffin nails or cancer sticks. One can't say people are not knowledgeable about what they are doing. The next question is "Do they deserve anything?"
Posted by: JohnQC   2014-07-21 09:30  

#2  What do we pay now for a dead servicemember - $450K? Of which about 250K comes from self insuring program deducted from monthly pay, Servicemen's Group Life Insurance. It's fun to play with other people's money.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2014-07-21 09:20  

#1  Revenge, not justice.
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2014-07-21 00:37  

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