A Florida jury awarded our client $17.4 million in a lawsuit against Philip Morris USA Inc. after her husband died of obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. The verdict included $3.5 million in damages for the husband’s pain and suffering, $11.6 million in punitive damages, and $2 million in damages caused to our client for the loss of her husband’s comfort, society, and attention.
According to court documents, our client’s husband was only 40% liable for these damages. After he began smoking penny cigarettes at the age of 13, he switched to Marlboro cigarettes, filtered cigarettes, and eventually Marlboro Lights.
Attorney Todd McPharlin of Kelley | Uustal represented the case and explained that our client’s husband switched to Marlboro Lights because he believed they were a safer alternative to normal cigarettes.
During the course of the trial, McPharlin demonstrated that Philip Morris USA Inc. concealed information from consumers and that our client’s husband relied on this information, which led to his illness and eventual death. The jury also determined that, prior to 1982, Philip Morris USA Inc. made misleading statements regarding the addictive nature of its products.
“The jury agreed that Philip Morris was responsible for the suffering endured as a result of his COPD and the lung cancer caused by Philip Morris’
Read more about the case here.
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