Tobacco company sued

[Lilikins]

Soooo it seems someone died from smoking and his wife whom he left behind thought it to be wise to sue RJ Reynolds. Normal train of thought is along the lines of 'smoking is bad....you can/will die from it eventually (in most cases)'
Well, its something everyone who smokes (myself included)has to take into consideration and understand the consequences that are included. This lady still thought itd work and by god it did.

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/19/rj-reynolds-lawsuit_n_5602427.html

I must say...Im surprised it worked. Yes there are some lawsuits on the states side that are..ridiculous (sticking the cat into the microwave to dry it..no comment..) but nevertheless, this one seriously shocked me that it actually worked. Im still brooding about what I can do to win that much next time I visit my family haha.

 

[BathorysGraveland2]

Damn. 26 billion? Well fuckin' played, woman. Well played.

 

[Tayh]

Ridiculousness and 'muricaness aside, I can't help but appreciate that a tobacco company got hit where it hurts the most: their wallet.

 

[Zontar]

It's going to get appealed. This is another reason to add to the list of "why jury's are useless and a waste of resources".

I'm genuinely surprised someone can even win a case like this (but again, jury's, you don't need to win, only convince idiots you're right) let alone get an impossible to justify amount. I'd honestly be surprised if everyone from the person's town was worth that much combined, let alone them alone.

 

[shootthebandit]

Im tempted to move to america and sue the pope for being catholic, water for being wet and the grass for being green. I might be a billionaire overnight

I sincerely hope she donates that money to lung cancer charities as she is not the only victim of this. I know lung cancer can be self inflicted (it may not be though) but that doesnt mean these people should be ignored. 26bn could go a long way nationwide for cancer research, treatment and prevention. Its a shame its all gone to one woman

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

I'm surprised she got as far as winning the first court case. Usually, Big Tobacco's hot shot lawyers can spout the typical BS that it says right on the package what health affects smoking is attributed to and how it was his choice to smoke. I guess enough people in that jury have seen similar deaths of friends and family in their life.

We'll see how it goes with future trials. The company rep is of course whinning about how the damages are "grossly excessive and impermissible under state and constitutional law." The widow's attorneys say they don't care if they see a dime and just want to send them a message. Hopefully, more lawsuits can nickle and dime the tobacco industry to death, especially if the awards are donated to anti-smoking charities and PSA services.

 

[Thaluikhain]

26 billion?

Now, I'm not a fan of the tobacco industry, but no way.

 

[Vegosiux]

It's going to get appealed. This is another reason to add to the list of "why jury's are useless and a waste of resources".

I'm genuinely surprised someone can even win a case like this (but again, jury's, you don't need to win, only convince idiots you're right) let alone get an impossible to justify amount. I'd honestly be surprised if everyone from the person's town was worth that much combined, let alone them alone.

Since you brought up the topic of how much people are worth, I've thought of this article. [http://yosemite.epa.gov/EE%5Cepa%5Ceed.nsf/webpages/MortalityRiskValuation.html]

Just as some interesting reading for people to do.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Whatever undermines the tobacco industry, go for it.

 

[Queen Michael]

I hope this succeeds. I hate tobacco companies.

 

[Zhukov]

$26 billion?

Wow. I need to start convincing someone in my family to start chain smoking, stat!

My dad smokes occasionally. I'll start with him. Maybe buy a few packets and just kinda leave 'em around his house.

 

[shootthebandit]

$26 billion?

Wow. I need to start convincing someone in my family to start chain smoking, stat!

My dad smokes occasionally. I'll start with him. Maybe buy a few packets and just kinda leave 'em around his house.

For $26bn id chain smoke a cartoon of 200 marlboro reds a day

 

[major_chaos]

Ha had me worried for a second there. Fortunately I Smoke American Spirit not camel or Pall Mall (The primary products of R.J. Reynolds), so no possible inconvenience for me. That said this suit is absurdly stupid. She might, almost, kinda have a case if her husband died from second hand smoke, but it sounds like he was a smoker and thus whatever happened to him is his fault. Tobacco companies provide a product, your inability to use that product responsibly is your own fault.
Also really Escapist? "GRRR I have throbbing rage boner toward the tobacco companies because reasons so I hope they lose moronic court cases and go out of business completely economic damage, countless lost jobs, and smokers by choice be DAMNED!!!!"

 

[Majinash]

Not to sound overly cynical but... is this really surprising after the whole McDonald's coffee thing? People sue big corporations for stupid reasons all the time. I don't feel sympathy because big corporations have a nasty habit of screwing everyone else over, but it doesn't make this feel any less mundane to me.

 

[kasperbbs]

I'm not going to shed any tears for the tobacco company, but that is pretty f-ing retarded. If a billionaire went and shot a bunch of people they wouldn't give their families that much money and this guy died of his own free will. The way i see it she shouldn't get a penny.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I'm surprised this worked, after all it's usually plastered all over cigarette packages that smoking is bad for you. So I fail to understand how the company can be found liable. Hell I remember seeing anti-smoking commercials that involved a girl standing outside in a thunder storm holding a flag pole saying "yeah this looks stupid, but so is smoking." or something like that. I detest smoking, but I'm sorry, I can't side with the widow on this one.

 

[Nokturos]

That's fucking ridiculous. The only person responsible for that guy getting lung cancer was himself. I hope she'll have to pay it all back, and then some.

 

[DefunctTheory]

Not to sound overly cynical but... is this really surprising after the whole McDonald's coffee thing? People sue big corporations for stupid reasons all the time. I don't feel sympathy because big corporations have a nasty habit of screwing everyone else over, but it doesn't make this feel any less mundane to me.

People really need to stop bringing up the McDonalds coffee case when it comes to frivolous lawsuits. McDonald's was clearly in the wrong, the plaintiff had real, unexpected, unreasonable damages (3rd degree burns), and the decision in her favor was reasonable, and not excessive.

As for the tobacco case... I mean, come on. The dangers of smoking have been known for decades, and wile cigerettes are extremely addictive, their not addictive to the point of being impossible to quit.

This is just silly.

 

[Xan Krieger]

Can't believe it worked, people have known smoking is bad for your health for decades. I hope this gets appealed and the case thrown out otherwise I'd support fat people suing fast food places for billions or beer companies for wrecked livers.