Jury Awards $10.6 Million In Wrongful Death Claim Against Tobacco Firm

The family of a female who smoked cigarettes for decades and died astatine property 59 from lung crab has won a $10.6 cardinal verdict successful a lawsuit against cigaret shaper R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.

A assemblage successful Massachusetts Superior Court for Hampden County recovered that R.J. Reynolds bore immoderate work for Jaqueline Penza’s cancer. The assemblage recovered Reynolds participated successful a conspiracy to mislead consumers astir nan dangers aliases addictiveness of nan cigarettes that caused her death. The assemblage besides recovered that Reynolds marketed cigarettes to minors and committed fraud successful nan waste of its cigarettes.

The assemblage awarded Penza’s hubby and girl $1.6 cardinal for aesculapian expenses; $2.5 cardinal for symptom and suffering; $4 cardinal for wrongful decease and $2.5 cardinal successful punitive damages.

The deceased started smoking astatine property 12 aft being fixed free samples of cigarettes by nan baccy company. She smoked Winston, Newport, and Kent marque cigarettes for a full of astir 45 years. She struggled to flooded her addiction to nicotine for galore years and attempted a assortment of methods to quit. She switched from Winston to Winston Lights because she thought they were safer. But Penza was not capable to extremity smoking until 2016, erstwhile she was diagnosed pinch lung cancer, which yet caused her decease connected March 3, 2018.

In its defense, Reynolds based on that nan risks of cigaret smoking person been good known for a agelong clip but Penza did not heed those warnings. The patient maintained that immoderate injuries aliases damages Penza suffered were caused by her ain acts aliases omissions, aliases by preexisting conditions aliases different causes complete which Reynolds had nary power and for which Reynolds is not responsible. The institution besides insisted that its products and advertisements complied pinch each authorities regulations.

The Penza assemblage verdict comes a twelvemonth aft different Massachusetts assemblage successful Midddlesex County awarded $20.7 cardinal to a 72-year aged man who smoked cigarettes for 55 years and suffered from cancer. The Middlesex County assemblage recovered that cigarettes made by R.J. Reynolds and Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co., a subsidiary, were defectively designed and negligently marketed and caused Joseph Reppucci’s cancer.

That assemblage awarded Reppucci $14.4 cardinal for his symptom and suffering resulting from his 2018 oral cancer; $685,691 for his aesculapian expenses; and $5.7 cardinal to his woman for nonaccomplishment of consortium.