August 28, 2001-Suit seeks $100 million from tobacco company

---

A law firm has filed a $100 million lawsuit against cigarette giant Philip Morris Inc. on behalf of a Baltimore County widow whose husband died of lung cancer in January. According to the complaint, the widows husband began smoking free cigarette samples in 1941, when he was 14, and later "moved on to smoking 'ten packs' which were designed to addict young smokers." Before he quit in 1976, he smoked two packs a day.

The lawsuit accuses Philip Morris and 10 other companies - including tobacco manufacturers and distributors, and Giant Food L.L.C., which sold the widow's husband many of his cigarettes - of wrongful death, conspiracy, two counts of fraud, failure to warn of the product's dangers, and loss of companionship of her husband. The lawsuit asks for punitive damages plus a total of $100 million in compensatory damages. Philip Morris did not return a phone call seeking comment yesterday afternoon.

According to Richard Daynard, a professor at Northeastern University law school and chairman of the Tobacco Control Resource Center in Boston, individual lawsuits such as these are starting to find success in courtrooms across the country. "Until 1996, there were maybe 1,500 (individual) cases filed, but none had produced any money for the plaintiffs," he said. "What happened since then is that all of these documents are now out, demonstrating the perfidy of this industry, so that's changed things."

Daynard's organization has tracked seven recent plaintiff victories in various states, some amounting to $100 million in damages. Still, Daynard said such cases are not easy to bring, because tobacco companies "do everything possible to raise the cost for the plaintiff," he said. "They employ a 'scorched earth' defense strategy. They never settle the cases." An important exception to that strategy was the national tobacco settlement in 1998, in which Maryland was promised more than $4 billion.

If you or a loved one is a victim of a tobacco related injury, call now at or CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT A CASE FORM. The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to accept your case, we will work on a contingent fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary award or recovery of funds. Don't delay! You may have a valid claim and be entitled to compensation for your injuries, but a lawsuit must be filed before the statute of limitations expires.

<< back

---

The Gunn Law Group handles cases involving Insurance Claims, Homeowners Insurance, Property Insurance Coverage and Disputes, Insurance Bad Faith, Hurricane Insurance Claims, as well as the most serious of Personal Injury such as: Automobile Accidents, Spinal Cord Injuries, Cerebral Palsy, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Medical Malpractice, Product Liability and Wrongful Death. The Gunn Law Group serves the following Florida areas: Altamonte Springs, Apopka, Arcadia, Atlantic Beach, Bartow, Boca Raton, Bonita Springs, Boynton Beach, Bradenton, Brandon, Brooksville, Cape Coral, Casselberry, Clearwater, Cocoa, Cocoa Beach, Coral Gables, Coral Springs, Crestview, Crystal River, Dade City, Dania, Daytona Beach, Deerfield Beach, Deland, Delray Beach, Destin, Dunedin, Englewood, Eustis, Fernandina Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Fort Pierce, Fort Walton Beach, Gainesville, Green Cove Springs, Gulf Breeze, Hallandale, Hialeah, Hollywood, Homestead, Hudson, Inverness, Islamorada, Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, Jupiter, Key Biscayne, Key Largo, Key West, Kissimmee, Lake City, Lake Mary, Lake Wales, Lake Worth, Lakeland, Largo, Leesburg, Live Oak, Longwood, Lutz, Maitland, Marathon, Marco Island, Melbourne, Merritt Island, Miami, Miami Beach, Milton, Mount Dora, Naples, New Port Richey, New Smyrna Beach, Niceville, North Fort Myers, North Miami Beach, North Palm Beach, Ocala, Okeechobee, Orange Park, Orlando, Ormond Beach, Oviedo, Palatka, Palm Bay, Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Palm City, Palm Coast, Palm Harbor, Panama City, Pensacola, Perry, Plant City, Pompano Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, Port Charlotte, Port Richey, Port Saint Lucie, Punta Gorda, Quincy, Rockledge, Safety Harbor, Saint Augustine, Saint Petersburg, Sanford, Sanibel, Sarasota, Satellite Beach, Sebring, Seminole, Shalimar, Spring Hill, Stuart, Tallahassee, Tampa, Tarpon Springs, Tavares, Tavernier, Titusville, Venice, Vero Beach, West Palm Beach, Weston, Winter Haven, Winter Park, Winter Springs Copyright 2008 © Gunn Law Group, P.A. , All Rights Reserved Terms & Conditions Site Map