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Court tosses $5M punitive award in first ‘Engle’ case 

Published: May 10, 2012

Tags: Benson & Hedges, cigarettes, Engle, Engle litigation, fraudulent concealment, Philip Morris, punitive damages, statute of repose, tobacco, tobacco litigation

A Florida appellate panel has overturned a $5 million award of punitive damages against Philip Morris in the first individual case to go to trial under the state’s court-imposed procedures for product liability suits against cigarette manufacturers.

Fla. court overturns $80 million smoker verdict 

Published: April 11, 2012

Tags: Engle litigation, product liability, R.J. Reynolds, tobacco litigation

The daughter of a cigarette smoker who died from lung cancer failed to show that she suffered compensatory damages in an amount that would justify a multi-million dollar jury verdict, the Florida Court of Appeal has ruled.

Supreme Court denies certiorari for Engle litigation 

Published: April 2, 2012

Tags: Engle litigation, Supreme Court, U.S. Supreme Court

In between hours of oral argument over the federal health care legislation, the justices took the time to deny certiorari in the first of the Florida tobacco suits to reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

$41 million tobacco verdict breaks recent defense streak 

By: Sylvia Hsieh
Published: March 15, 2012

Tags: Engle, Engle litigation, tobacco, tobacco litigation

A jury has awarded $41 million to the wife of a man who died from lung cancer in 1995 – a verdict that broke a recent string of low verdicts and hung juries in the ongoing Engle progeny litigation against tobacco companies. The decedent began smoking in 1950 at the age of 14 and was apportioned 20 percent fault.

Florida court tosses $2 million award in ‘Engle’ case 

Published: March 1, 2012

Tags: Engle, Engle litigation, lung cancer, Philip Morris, tobacco, tobacco litigation, wrongful death

Philip Morris will not have to pay $2 million to the husband of a deceased smoker after a Florida appeals court decided last week that his lawsuit was barred by the state’s statute of limitations.

First federal Engle suit results in verdict for the defense 

Published: February 22, 2012

Tags: cigarettes, Engle, Engle litigation, Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds, tobacco, tobacco litigation

The defense triumphed in the first individual tobacco trial held in Florida federal court.

Smoker’s widow not entitled to $41M in punitives 

Published: February 16, 2012

Tags: Engle litigation, product liability, punitive damages, tobacco litigation

An award of $40.8 million in punitive damages to the widow of a long-time cigarette smoker was constitutionally excessive, the Florida Court of Appeal has ruled.

Plaintiffs score two Engle wins 

By: Correy Stephenson
Published: February 10, 2012

Tags: Engle litigation, Liggett Group, Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds, tobacco litigation

Plaintiffs in the ongoing Engle tobacco litigation have scored two consecutive victories.

Jurors in Pensacola County and Highland County, Fla. awarded compensatory and punitive damages to the families of Mattie Ward and Claire Hallgren. Ward’s estate was awarded $2.7 million and Hallgren’s estate received $3.5 million.

Philip Morris wins first smoker trial in Alaska 

Published: December 8, 2011

Tags: cigarettes, Engle, Engle litigation, Philip Morris, smoking, tobacco litigation

Philip Morris USA has announced a unanimous verdict in its favor in the first individual smoking case to be tried in Alaska.

State filing rule may not apply to Engle plaintiffs 

Published: December 5, 2011

Tags: Engle litigation, tobacco litigation, wrongful death

A Florida rule requiring that after a personal injury plaintiff’s death the suit should be dismissed and a new, separate suit for wrongful death be filed poses inequities for Engle plaintiffs, the Florida Court of Appeal has ruled.