This lawsuit was filed by an individual alleging that smoking caused her to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The lawsuit arises from a 1994 class-action lawsuit on behalf of Florida smokers against major tobacco companies (Engle v. Liggett Group, Inc.). In this decision, the court affirmed an earlier ruling allowing the plaintiff’s fraud claims to continue. The court found that the fraud claims were filed within the appropriate amount of time because the earlier class action lawsuit in Engle had proven that the major tobacco companies fraudulently concealed information about the health risks of smoking.
Philip Morris USA, Inc. v. Tina Russo, No. SC12-1401, Supreme Court of Florida (2015).
An individual or organization may seek civil damages against a tobacco company based on the claim that the use of tobacco products causes disease or death. Some of these cases will relate to general tobacco products, while others will relate to specific subcategories of tobacco products--for example, light or low products, menthol or other flavored products. Additionally, there may be cases relating to exposure to secondhand smoke.
The court might consider procedural matters without touching the merits of the case. These might include: improper joinder, when third parties, such as Health NGOs or government officials, seek to become parties to the suit; lack of standing, where a plaintiff fails to meet the minimum requirements to bring suit; lack of personal jurisdiction, where the court does not have jurisdiction to rule over the defendant; or lack of subject matter jurisdiction, where the court does not have jurisdiction over the issue at suit.
Type of Tobacco Product
None
Limitations regarding the use of quotes The quotes provided here reflect statements from a specific decision. Accordingly, the International Legal Consortium (ILC) cannot guarantee that an appellate court has not reversed a lower court decision which may influence the applicability or influence of a given quote. All quotes have been selected based on the subjective evaluations undertaken by the ILC meaning that quotes provided here may not accurately or comprehensively represent a given court’s opinion or conclusion, as such quotes may have originally appeared alongside other negative opinions or accompanying facts. Further, some quotes are derived from unofficial English translations, which may alter their original meaning. We emphasize the need to review the original decision and related decisions before authoritatively relying on quotes. Using quotes provided here should not be construed as legal advice and is not intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter in any jurisdiction. Please see the full limitations at https://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/about.
"In the instant case, unlike in Hess, both fraudulent concealment and conspiracy to commit fraud by concealment claims were submitted to the jury. Consistent with our decision in Hess, we conclude that the district court below properly determined that the trial court did not err in denying PM USA and R.J. Reynolds’ requested jury instruction on the fraud statute of repose. We emphasize that evidence of reliance need not be established within the fraud statute of repose period. PM USA and R.J. Reynolds’ requested jury instruction would have precluded the jury from considering any evidence of reliance prior to the repose period."
"Ms. Frazier presented the following testimony relating to the conduct on the part of the tobacco companies. In 1953, when the studies first linked cigarettes and cancer, the tobacco companies hired scientists who confirmed that cancer rose dramatically as people smoked more cigarettes. In response to public concerns, the tobacco companies issued “A Frank Statement,” wherein claims were made about the safety of cigarette smoking which were reinforced by advertisements and public interviews given by tobacco executives. The companies’ publicly made claims were contradicted by their internal research. As early as 1961, the tobacco companies’ internal documents reflected the ineffectiveness of filters in removing cancerous components. Tobacco companies knew nicotine was addicting and that smoking causes lung cancer and emphysema."
Limitations regarding the use of quotes The quotes provided here reflect statements from a specific decision. Accordingly, the International Legal Consortium (ILC) cannot guarantee that an appellate court has not reversed a lower court decision which may influence the applicability or influence of a given quote. All quotes have been selected based on the subjective evaluations undertaken by the ILC meaning that quotes provided here may not accurately or comprehensively represent a given court’s opinion or conclusion, as such quotes may have originally appeared alongside other negative opinions or accompanying facts. Further, some quotes are derived from unofficial English translations, which may alter their original meaning. We emphasize the need to review the original decision and related decisions before authoritatively relying on quotes. Using quotes provided here should not be construed as legal advice and is not intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter in any jurisdiction. Please see the full limitations at https://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/about.
This lawsuit was filed by an individual alleging that smoking caused her to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The lawsuit arises from a 1994 class-action lawsuit on behalf of Florida smokers against major tobacco companies (Engle v. Liggett Group, Inc.). In this decision, the court affirmed an earlier ruling allowing the plaintiff’s fraud claims to continue. The court found that the fraud claims were filed within the appropriate amount of time because the earlier class action lawsuit in Engle had proven that the major tobacco companies fraudulently concealed information about the health risks of smoking.