Los Angeles, August 26: A jury here has ordered tobacco giant Philip Morris to pay $13.8mn to the daughter of a lifelong smoker who died of lung disease.
Jodie Bullock’s mother Betty died of lung cancer in 2003, at the age of 64. She had smoked for 47 years. Philip Morris said she could have given up smoking at any time as the harmful effects of cigarettes were known.
Betty had sued Philip Morris in April 2001 for fraud and product liability.
In 2002, a jury recommended that Philip Morris pay $28bn in punitive damages to Jodie but a judge later reduced the amount to $28mn.
In 2008, the US court of appeal overturned the jury’s decision and sent the case for a new trial, with Philip Morris arguing that $28mn was excessive.
–Agencies–