Holy Cr@p! RJ Reynolds loses $23.6 billion in lawsuit

[PVPuff&Stuff]

RJ Reynolds vows to fight $23.6B in damages - KAIT-Jonesboro, AR-News, weather, sports

The damages awarded to Robinson after a four-week trial came in addition to $16.8 million in compensatory damages awarded Thursday.
Robinson individually sued Reynolds in 2008 on behalf of her late husband, Michael Johnson Sr., who died in 1996. Her attorneys said the punitive damages are the largest of any individual case stemming from the original class action lawsuit.
The verdict came the same week that Reynolds American Inc., which owns R.J. Reynolds tobacco Company, announced it was purchasing Lorillard tobacco Co., the country's No. 3 cigarette maker, in a $25 billion deal. That would create a tobacco company second only in the U.S. to Marlboro maker Altria Group Inc., which owns Philip Morris USA Inc. and is based in Richmond, Virginia.

Note: Blu was owned by Lorillard...

 

[Steelgirl]

But the appeals will take years!

 

[PVPuff&Stuff]

Interesting to hear of the shuffling going on in that industry. RJR now owns Blu, but as a separated entity... While I think the award was a bit over the top, that industry deserves to be disassembled because of their marketing in the early years.