Xxxxxxxx Tobacco Co the jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff, found RJR Tobacco to be 45% at fault, the decedent, Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx, to be 40% at fault, and the remaining defendant to be 15% at fault, and awarded $6 million in compensatory damages and $17 million in punitive damages against each defendant.
Xxxxxxxx Tobacco Co. [Xxxxx Progeny] Circuit Court, Escambia County, (Pensacola, FL) $7 million in compensatory damages; 60% of fault assigned to RJR Tobacco, which reduced the award to $4.2 million; $2 million in punitive damages. See “— Xxxxx and Xxxxx Progeny Cases” below.
Xxxxxxxx Tobacco Co. [Xxxxx Progeny] Circuit Court, Broward County, (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $15.1 million in compensatory damages; 30% of fault assigned to RJR Tobacco, which reduced the award to $4.5 million; $5 million in punitive damages, of which $2.5 million was assigned to RJR Tobacco. See “— Xxxxx and Xxxxx Progeny Cases” below.
Xxxxxxxx Tobacco Co. [Xxxxx Progeny] Circuit Court, Alachua County, (Gainesville, FL) $2.5 million in compensatory damages; 51% of fault assigned to RJR Tobacco, which reduced the award to $1.275 million; $2.5 million in punitive damages. See “— Xxxxx and Xxxxx Progeny Cases” below.
Xxxxxxxx Tobacco Co a case filed in December 2007, in the Circuit Court, Alachua County, Florida, a jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff, found RJR Tobacco to be 40% at fault, the decedent, Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, to be 60% at fault, and awarded $5 million in compensatory damages and no punitive damages. The plaintiff alleged that the decedent was addicted to cigarettes and, as a result, developed lung cancer and other smoking-related conditions and/or diseases, and sought in excess of $15,000 in compensatory damages. Final judgment was entered against RJR Tobacco in the amount of $2 million. The plaintiff filed a notice of appeal to the First DCA in July 2011. RJR Tobacco filed a notice of cross appeal and posted a supersedeas bond in the amount of $2 million. In October 2012, the First DCA affirmed the trial court’s ruling in full. On the direct appeal, the court held that only intentional torts could support a punitive damages claim and held that Xxxxx Progeny plaintiffs may not seek punitive damages for negligence or strict liability because the original Xxxxx class did not seek punitive damages for those claims. The First DCA certified the question to the Florida Supreme Court as one of great public importance. On the cross appeal, the court rejected RJR Tobacco’s arguments about the use of the Xxxxx findings and the statute of limitations. RJR Tobacco filed a motion for rehearing or for certification to the Florida Supreme Court and the plaintiff filed a motion for rehearing or rehearing en banc. In January 2013, the First DCA granted rehearing on RJR Tobacco’s cross appeal to clarify that the trial court’s application of Xxxxx findings did not violate RJR Tobacco’s due process rights. Otherwise, rehearing, rehearing en banc and certification were denied. RJR Tobacco and the plaintiff both filed notices to invoke the discretionary jurisdiction of the Florida Supreme Court. In February 2014, the Florida Supreme Court declined to accept jurisdiction of RJR Tobacco’s petition for review and accepted the plaintiff’s petition for review requesting the Florida Supreme Court review the decision of the First DCA. Oral argument is scheduled for December 4, 2014.
Xxxxxxxx Tobacco Co a case filed in September 2007, in the Circuit Court, Xxxxx County, Florida, a jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff, found RJR Tobacco to be 45% at fault, the decedent, Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx, to be 40% at fault and the remaining defendant to be 15% at fault, and awarded $6 million in compensatory damages and $17 million in punitive damages against each defendant. The plaintiff alleged that as a result of smoking the defendants’ products, the decedent developed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and sought in excess of $15,000 in compensatory damages. Final judgment was entered against RJR Tobacco in the amount of $19.7 million in May 2011. In October 2011, the trial court entered a remittitur of the punitive damages to $8.1 million and denied all other post-trial motions. The defendants filed a joint notice of appeal, RJR Tobacco posted a supersedeas bond in the amount of $3.75 million, and the plaintiff filed a notice of cross appeal in November 2011. In May 2013, the First DCA reversed the trial court’s judgment and remanded the case for a new trial. As a result, RJR Tobacco’s bond was returned. In August 2013, the plaintiff filed a notice to invoke the discretionary jurisdiction of the Florida Supreme Court. In February 2014, the Florida Supreme Court declined to accept jurisdiction. The new trial began on November 1, 2014, and on November 26, 2014, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff, found the decedent to be 70% at fault, RJR Tobacco to be 24% at fault and the remaining defendant to be 6% at fault, and awarded $3.1 million in compensatory damages and $7.76 million in punitive damages against each defendant.
Xxxxxxxx Tobacco Co. [Xxxxx Progeny] Circuit Court, Xxxxx County, (Jacksonville, FL) $1.1 million in compensatory damages; 20% of fault assigned to RJR Tobacco, which reduced the award to $218,600. No punitive damages awarded. See “— Xxxxx and Xxxxx Progeny Cases” below.
Xxxxxxxx Tobacco Co a case filed in December 2007, in the Circuit Court, Escambia County, Florida, the court declared a mistrial due to the inability to seat a jury. The plaintiff alleged that as a result of his use of the defendants’ products, he suffers from nicotine addiction and one or more smoking-related diseases and/or conditions, and sought an unspecified amount of compensatory damages. A new trial will be scheduled at a later date.
Xxxxxxxx Tobacco Co a case filed in May 2007 in the Circuit Court, Broward County, Florida, a jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff. The plaintiff alleged that the decedent, Xxxxxx Xxxxx, developed lung cancer as a result of using the defendants’ products, and sought in excess of $15,000 compensatory damages and unspecified punitive damages. On March 24, 2010, the jury awarded the plaintiff $10 million in compensatory damages, and found the decedent to be 33.3% at fault, RJR Tobacco to be 33.3% at fault and the remaining defendant to be 33.3% at fault. The jury also awarded $20 million in punitive damages, of which $10 million was assigned to RJR Tobacco. In July 2010, the court entered final judgment against RJR Tobacco in the amount of $3.33 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages. The court entered an amended judgment in September 2010 to include interest from the date of the verdict. RJR Tobacco filed a notice of appeal to the Fourth DCA and posted a supersedeas bond in the amount of $2.5 million. In September 2012, the Fourth DCA affirmed the liability finding and the compensatory damages award, but reversed the finding of entitlement to punitive damages, and remanded the case for a retrial limited to the issue of liability for concealment and conspiracy. The defendants and the plaintiff filed separate notices to invoke the discretionary jurisdiction of the Florida Supreme Court in January 2013. In February 2014, the Florida Supreme Court, on its own motion, consolidated the petitions for review filed by the plaintiff and RJR Tobacco and stayed the petitions pending disposition by the court of Xxxx v.
