News

PHAI Publishes Special Verdict Sheet from Evans trial

SUFFOLK, SS. CIVIL ACTION NO. 2004-2840-A WILLIE EVANS, AS EXECUTOR OF THE ESTATE OF MARIE R. EVANS Plaintiff v. LORILLARD TOBACCO COMPANY Defendant SPECIAL JURY VERDICT FORM SECTION 1 -LIABILITY Question 1: NEGLIGENCE (Please answer all three subparts, a through c, of Question 1.) a.         Was Defendant Lorillard Tobacco Company negligent in the design,

PHAI Publishes Special Verdict Sheet from Evans trial Read More »

Lorillard Suffers Big Loss in Massachusetts Wrongful Death Case Where Free Samples of Newport were provided to African-American Children in Roxbury Housing Project

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Edward L. Sweda, Jr. or Mark Gottlieb (617) 373-8462 or (617) 373-2026 A Suffolk Superior Court jury slammed Lorillard Tobacco Company today in the first tobacco trial in Massachusetts in a generation.  The case, Evans v. Lorillard, involved a wrongful death claim brought by the son of a woman who was

Lorillard Suffers Big Loss in Massachusetts Wrongful Death Case Where Free Samples of Newport were provided to African-American Children in Roxbury Housing Project Read More »

Florida Court of Appeal Affirms $28.3 Million Verdict Against R.J. Reynolds; explicitly Rejects RJR’s Attempt to “Essentially Nullify” Florida Supreme Court’s 2006 Decision in Engle

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Edward L. Sweda, Jr. or Mark Gottlieb (617) 373-8462 or (617) 373-2026 In a resounding defeat for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., the First District Court of Appeal of Florida affirmed a jury’s award of $5 million in compensatory damages (later reduced by the trial judge to $3.3. million because the jury

Florida Court of Appeal Affirms $28.3 Million Verdict Against R.J. Reynolds; explicitly Rejects RJR’s Attempt to “Essentially Nullify” Florida Supreme Court’s 2006 Decision in Engle Read More »

PHAI’s Gottlieb Co-Authors New Study Showing Increased Tobacco Smoke Expsoure of Kids in Multi-Unit Housing

Today, Wilson et al., published a new study in the journal Pediatrics demonstrating that children who live in homes in which no one smokes inside have a 45% increase in cotinine levels if they live in apartments compared with detached homes. The findings came through analysis of data from the 2001–2006 National Health and Nutrition

PHAI’s Gottlieb Co-Authors New Study Showing Increased Tobacco Smoke Expsoure of Kids in Multi-Unit Housing Read More »

Florida Jury Snaps Tobacco’s Recent Winning Streak with an $80 Million Award Against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –  Contact: Edward L. Sweda, Jr. or Mark Gottlieb (617) 373-2026 or (617) 373-8462. A Bronson, Florida (Levy County) jury today awarded $8 million in compensatory damages and another $72 million in punitive damages against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company for its role in the lung cancer death of James Kayce Horner. Mr.

Florida Jury Snaps Tobacco’s Recent Winning Streak with an $80 Million Award Against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. Read More »

National Cancer Institute Study May Affect Cigarette Litigation

Results of a study released today by the National Cancer Institute suggest that heavy smokers may be able to reduce the chances of dying from lung cancer through low-dose helical computed tomography (CT) scans. In a randomized national trial of more than 53,000 current and former heavy smokers, CT scans led to outcomes of 20%

National Cancer Institute Study May Affect Cigarette Litigation Read More »

Yet Another Plaintiff’s Verdict in Florida: Piendle v. RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co. et al.

August 5, 2010 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Edward L. Sweda or Mark Gottlieb  (617) 373-8462 or (617) 373-2026 A Palm Beach, Florida jury today returned a verdict of $2.2. million against Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds, on behalf of Liz Piendle, the widow of Charles Piendle, who died from lung cancer in 1996 at the age

Yet Another Plaintiff’s Verdict in Florida: Piendle v. RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co. et al. Read More »

11th Circuit Court of Appeals Vacated Decision That Would Have Eliminated Preclusive Effect of Engle Jury Phase I Findings for Progeny Cases in Federal Court

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals today, in Brown et al. v. RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co., et al., vacated an August 28, 2008 order by U.S. District Court Judge Howard Schlesinger which had eliminated the preclusive effect of the Engle jury’s Phase I findings. Now, with that roadblock having been cleared, federal court plaintiffs in

11th Circuit Court of Appeals Vacated Decision That Would Have Eliminated Preclusive Effect of Engle Jury Phase I Findings for Progeny Cases in Federal Court Read More »

PHAI’s Gottlieb Co-Authors Piece in NEJM: Puffing in Public Housing Poses Serious Health Risks to Tenants

Media contacts: Valerie Wencis, Massachusetts General Hospital, 617.726.0274, vwencis@partners.org Todd Datz, Harvard School of Public Health, 617.998.8819, tdatz@hsph.harvard.edu Barry Wanger, Northeastern University School of Law, 617.965.6469, barry@wangerassociates.com Researchers examine risks and consequences of cigarette smoking to all inhabitants of multiple-unit housing; challenge status quo BOSTON– In an effort to protect children from harmful tobacco smoke exposure, health

PHAI’s Gottlieb Co-Authors Piece in NEJM: Puffing in Public Housing Poses Serious Health Risks to Tenants Read More »