Florida Jury Says Death of Smoker Due to Addiction

2009-02-17 19:27:21 (GMT) (WiredPRNews.com - Law, News)

A Florida jury is set to decide whether tobacco giant Philip Morris is liable for damages from smoker death.

Wired PR News.com – A Florida jury is set to decide whether tobacco giant Philip Morris will be obligated to possibly pay millions in damages for the death of a smoker. As reported by the Associated Press (AP), the jury previously determined that a 40 year-old chain smoker, who died from lung cancer, suffered an addiction to nicotine which led to his death. His wife, Elaine Hess, filed a lawsuit on his behalf, citing Philip Morris was deceptive by hiding the dangers of smoking.

Adam Drop an attorney for Hess is quoted in the AP report as stating, “The jury’s going to hear a lot more about what the tobacco industry has been doing for the last several decades.”

Edward L. Sweda Jr., an attorney for Northeastern University Law School’s Tobacco Products Liability Project is further quoted as stating, “It is highly likely that the tobacco companies will be forced to account for their decades-long, reprehensible history of corporate wrongdoing.”