Philip Morris ordered to pay ex-smoker $300m
A Florida court has ordered cigarette manufacturer, Philip Morris, to pay $300 million to an ex-smoker.
The damages have been won by Cindy Naugle, who suffers from smoking-related emphysema, and is now wheelchair bound.
Philip Morris has indicated that it intends to mount an appeal; the group’s spokesman told the BBC that the punitive damages are “grossly excessive and a clear violation… of the law”.
However, the ruling could lead to a surge in similar claims as the case relates to a major class-action law suit in the Florida Supreme Court, which was thrown out in 2006.
According to reports, around 8,000 individual cases have subsequently been filed.
The judge awarded Ms Naugle $56.6 million for medical expenses and $244 million in punitive damages.
Category: Business Insurance News, Insurance News, Legal News
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