News tagged with 'Philip Morris'

The top five product-defect verdicts in 2009 rose to $620 million, an increase of 52 percent in total value. Jurors may be in the mood to give it back to corporate America.

Even though tar has been reduced in cigarettes over the years, there’s been an increase in a lung tumor called adenocarcinoma. It makes up 65 to 70 percent of newly diagnosed U.S. lung cancers, leading researchers to question why U.S. companies cure tobacco using propane generated heat and nitogen fertilizers. 

The Florida legislature has agreed to cap the bond tobacco giants would have to set aside in case they lose thousands of upcoming cigarette injury cases.  A bond is required to launch an appeal, which can take years, something many of the injured smokers or their survivors don't have.   

The first of 8,000 lawsuits to be filed against Big Tobacco in Florida will be appealed by Philip Morris USA after a jury awarded the widow of a smoker $8 million.   

Upon returning for a new term on Monday, the Supreme Court justices weighed a complicated legal battle, whether state laws can be used to challenge deceptive advertising of “light” cigarettes. Altria Group v. Good is the latest case in a growing debate over preemption.

The Bush administration "strongly” opposes the effort to give the Food and Drug Administration regulatory authority over tobacco. The bill is supported by both US Chambers; however, if the legislation passes both House and Senate, the Bush administration is most likely to veto it.