The Sun-Sentinel reports that a jury in Broward County, Florida has decided four tobacco companies must pay $20 million in compensatory damages and $54.84 million in punitive damages to the widow of a man who smoked three packs a day.
The story reports that, so far, 63 lawsuits arising from the Florida Supreme Court’s Engle opinion have gone to trial. 43 of those cases have resulted in verdicts for the plaintiffs. Philip Morris, however, seems to be doing better than the other defendants, obtaining defense verdicts or mistrials in two-thirds of their cases.
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