Lawsuits

National

Missouri: Court tosses tobacco appeal despite citing company wrongdoing
A Missouri state appeals court threw out a lawsuit against Brown and Williamson, despite convincing evidence of company wrongdoing. The decision reverses a $20 million settlement a jury awarded to the family of smoker Barbara Smith, although the panel did acknowledge that the evidence in the case warrants a punitive damages trial. The panel’s statement cites an active process on the part of Brown and Williamson to confuse the facts regarding the health risks of smoking and hide harmful information from the public. Click here to read more about the ruling.

Court: California can’t regulate cigarette advertisements pitched at kids
The California Supreme Court threw out a lawsuit accusing four tobacco companies of targeting youth with deceptive advertisements on the grounds that the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act pre-empts any state lawsuit about smoking and health issues. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of teens that started smoking in April of 1994 through December of 1999. Click here to read more.

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