• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

$23 Billion Lawsuit Settlement for One Smoking Death

rhinefire

DP Veteran
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
10,275
Reaction score
2,962
Gender
Undisclosed
Political Leaning
Independent
JUL 19, 2014 6:04PM ET / NATIONAL
[h=1]Florida Jury Awards a $23 BILLION Settlement in Smoking Case[/h]ADAM CHANDLER 3,440 VIEWS
lead_large.jpg
APA Florida jury smacked R.J. Reynolds, America's second-largest cigarette company, with $23.6 billion in damages in a smoking case late on Friday. It only seems to fair to say that the decision will prompt a quick appeal and that there's a pretty strong possibility that this award is going to be reduced.
The suit was filed the widow of Michael Johnson Sr., a longtime smoker who died oflung cancer at the age of 36, leaving behind two children. From the AP:
The case is one of thousands filed in Florida after the state Supreme Court in 2006 tossed out a $145 billion class actionverdict. That ruling also said smokers and their families need only prove addiction and that smoking caused their illnesses or deaths.
Last year, Florida's highest court re-approved that decision, which made it easier for sick smokers or their survivors to pursue lawsuits against tobacco companies without having to prove to the court again that Big Tobacco knowingly sold dangerous products and hid the hazards of cigarette smoking.
The four-week trial yielded 18 hours of deliberations before $17 million in compensatory damages was awarded. Then came the hammer. A $23.6 billion punitive judgment. The amount, while fun to think about, will almost certainly be reduced. As Frances Robles explained:
Such efforts by the industry are often successful. In October 2002, a Los Angeles jury awarded $28 billion in punitive damages against Philip Morris USA. In August 2011, an appeals court reduced the punitive damages to $28 million.


Anyone recall the BP oil spill two years ago and BP got nailed for 22 billion???!!! (one Billion less)Can you say "Our jjudicial system has gone mad"?
 
It's stupid and highlights the idiocy of our tort system. What about the folks who are alcoholics and are destroyed at a young age leading to an early death?

That said, I'm fine with compensatory damages, though even then the figure is way too high. But punitive damages should be taken off the table system wide. This would lower the cost of everything.

If you want to punish a company you should have to make your case in criminal court. And then only criminal penalties should apply.
 
If this man died recently at the age of 36 then he knew full well what the cigarettes would do to him and his wife should never have been awarded anything.
 
Lawsuit is absurd, settlement is even worse. Same age as this guy and started smoking around the same time. Sorry, it was pretty common knowledge that they were addictive as hell and clearly bad for you.
 
Tobacco companies have spent decades trying to suppress knowledge of how dangerous smoking is. This isn't about just one guy.
 
Tobacco companies have spent decades trying to suppress knowledge of how dangerous smoking is. This isn't about just one guy.

But, the truth has been exposed?
 
JUL 19, 2014 6:04PM ET / NATIONAL
[h=1]Florida Jury Awards a $23 BILLION Settlement in Smoking Case[/h]ADAM CHANDLER 3,440 VIEWS
lead_large.jpg
APA Florida jury smacked R.J. Reynolds, America's second-largest cigarette company, with $23.6 billion in damages in a smoking case late on Friday. It only seems to fair to say that the decision will prompt a quick appeal and that there's a pretty strong possibility that this award is going to be reduced.
The suit was filed the widow of Michael Johnson Sr., a longtime smoker who died oflung cancer at the age of 36, leaving behind two children. From the AP:
The case is one of thousands filed in Florida after the state Supreme Court in 2006 tossed out a $145 billion class actionverdict. That ruling also said smokers and their families need only prove addiction and that smoking caused their illnesses or deaths.
Last year, Florida's highest court re-approved that decision, which made it easier for sick smokers or their survivors to pursue lawsuits against tobacco companies without having to prove to the court again that Big Tobacco knowingly sold dangerous products and hid the hazards of cigarette smoking.
The four-week trial yielded 18 hours of deliberations before $17 million in compensatory damages was awarded. Then came the hammer. A $23.6 billion punitive judgment. The amount, while fun to think about, will almost certainly be reduced. As Frances Robles explained:
Such efforts by the industry are often successful. In October 2002, a Los Angeles jury awarded $28 billion in punitive damages against Philip Morris USA. In August 2011, an appeals court reduced the punitive damages to $28 million.


Anyone recall the BP oil spill two years ago and BP got nailed for 22 billion???!!! (one Billion less)Can you say "Our jjudicial system has gone mad"?


http://www.debatepolitics.com/law-a...23-6-billion-lawsuit-brought-smokers-wid.html
 
People pro-actively complain about how we need Tort Reform but ignore the fact that these huge payments are often significantly reduced or even eliminated.
 
Crime? What crime?

Intentionally deceiving people about the deadly product you're selling them with the intent of getting more people to get addicted before any resistance to your product starts up. Deliberately marketing that deadly product to children.
 
Tobacco companies have spent decades trying to suppress knowledge of how dangerous smoking is. This isn't about just one guy.

Cut the crapola, Surgeon General's warnings have been on every pack for DECADES.
 
Intentionally deceiving people about the deadly product you're selling them with the intent of getting more people to get addicted before any resistance to your product starts up. Deliberately marketing that deadly product to children.

Now this is hyperbole. Stores decide whether they sell cigarettes or not. Not tobacco companies. Stores also decide whether they put up ads or not in their store. And last I knew everyone has known the effects of cigarettes for at least 30-40 years. In fact tobacco companies have been required by the surgeon general that they must put a warning on the dangers of smoking on every single pack of cigarettes. That requirement has been in effect since 1969, and the tobacco companies are required to submit an annual report on the health consequences of smoking.

CDC Link
 
Cut the crapola, Surgeon General's warnings have been on every pack for DECADES.

Now this is hyperbole. Stores decide whether they sell cigarettes or not. Not tobacco companies. Stores also decide whether they put up ads or not in their store. And last I knew everyone has known the effects of cigarettes for at least 30-40 years. In fact tobacco companies have been required by the surgeon general that they must put a warning on the dangers of smoking on every single pack of cigarettes. That requirement has been in effect since 1969, and the tobacco companies are required to submit an annual report on the health consequences of smoking.

CDC Link

And the decades before that?
 
Tobacco companies have spent decades trying to suppress knowledge of how dangerous smoking is. This isn't about just one guy.

Well they haven't done a very good job of that, now have they?
 
Intentionally deceiving people about the deadly product you're selling them with the intent of getting more people to get addicted before any resistance to your product starts up. Deliberately marketing that deadly product to children.

Anybody with half a brain knows if they smoke they will die a horrible painful death.

That decisión is not worth any type of settlement.
 
Now this is hyperbole. Stores decide whether they sell cigarettes or not. Not tobacco companies. Stores also decide whether they put up ads or not in their store. And last I knew everyone has known the effects of cigarettes for at least 30-40 years. In fact tobacco companies have been required by the surgeon general that they must put a warning on the dangers of smoking on every single pack of cigarettes. That requirement has been in effect since 1969, and the tobacco companies are required to submit an annual report on the health consequences of smoking.

CDC Link

Adding to that, where are there ads for cigarettes telling us they are not harmful?
 
The tobacco companies did not force this guy to smoke.

Any post-baby boomer (and a lot of baby boomers as well) would have to be an idiot not to know of the dangers of smoking when they started...and IMO, being an idiot is not an excuse. It's a reason but not an excuse.

And anyone that was so weak and pathetic that the main reason they started smoking was due to advertisements deserves everything they get.


So if companies started selling plainly-labeled, human excrement as food then they would be liable for damages if someone was incredibly dumb enough to actually buy and eat the stuff?

At what point do people take responsibility for their own actions?

Let the buyer beware.
 
Last edited:
Anyone who gives a smoker a match is speeding up his demise.
 
Last edited:
JUL 19, 2014 6:04PM ET / NATIONAL
[h=1]Florida Jury Awards a $23 BILLION Settlement in Smoking Case[/h]ADAM CHANDLER 3,440 VIEWS
lead_large.jpg
APA Florida jury smacked R.J. Reynolds, America's second-largest cigarette company, with $23.6 billion in damages in a smoking case late on Friday. It only seems to fair to say that the decision will prompt a quick appeal and that there's a pretty strong possibility that this award is going to be reduced.
The suit was filed the widow of Michael Johnson Sr., a longtime smoker who died oflung cancer at the age of 36, leaving behind two children. From the AP:
The case is one of thousands filed in Florida after the state Supreme Court in 2006 tossed out a $145 billion class actionverdict. That ruling also said smokers and their families need only prove addiction and that smoking caused their illnesses or deaths.
Last year, Florida's highest court re-approved that decision, which made it easier for sick smokers or their survivors to pursue lawsuits against tobacco companies without having to prove to the court again that Big Tobacco knowingly sold dangerous products and hid the hazards of cigarette smoking.
The four-week trial yielded 18 hours of deliberations before $17 million in compensatory damages was awarded. Then came the hammer. A $23.6 billion punitive judgment. The amount, while fun to think about, will almost certainly be reduced. As Frances Robles explained:
Such efforts by the industry are often successful. In October 2002, a Los Angeles jury awarded $28 billion in punitive damages against Philip Morris USA. In August 2011, an appeals court reduced the punitive damages to $28 million.


Anyone recall the BP oil spill two years ago and BP got nailed for 22 billion???!!! (one Billion less)Can you say "Our jjudicial system has gone mad"?
$28Bil for one person makes me want to start smoking.
 
Intentionally deceiving people about the deadly product you're selling them with the intent of getting more people to get addicted before any resistance to your product starts up. Deliberately marketing that deadly product to children.

Theres a warning on the box, thuse there's no diception.
 
Who made and sold him the cigarettes that put him in his grave?
Who bought them and smoked them? It was a self-inflicted wond of his own choice. His body, his say, not yours. Case closed.
 
Who bought them and smoked them? It was a self-inflicted wond of his own choice. His body, his say, not yours.
Case closed.



It will be closed when the last cigarette is sold in the USA, and that day is coming.

Wait and see.
 
Back
Top Bottom