Brown & Williamson wins Mash: Individual Smoker Suit in Missouri
01 Oktober 2004 - 1:26AM
PR Newswire (US)
Brown & Williamson wins Mash: Individual Smoker Suit in
Missouri WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In
the first individual smoker case to be tried since the merger of
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and the U.S. tobacco business of
Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation (B&W), a Missouri
jury today returned a verdict in favor of B&W. The jury
concluded that B&W was not responsible for the illness of
Stella Hale, a smoker who died allegedly from lung cancer caused by
smoking the company's products. The jury unanimously agreed with
B&W that there was ample evidence that Ms. Hale had long been
aware of the potential health risks of smoking, and that she,
nevertheless, chose to smoke. "This verdict showed that the jury
thought that people who choose to smoke in the face of these known
risks should not be financially rewarded," said Jeff Raborn, senior
counsel for R.J. Reynolds. "The verdict also confirms yet again the
strength of the defenses in individual lawsuits," Raborn said. "The
jury evaluated all of the evidence in this case and concluded that
the plaintiffs' claims lacked merit. "The trial was held in the
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
in St. Louis. The case was filed by Tracey A. Mash and Anjanetta
Lingard on March 6, 2003, in state court in Missouri. It was later
removed to federal court. The plaintiffs are the daughters of
Stella Hale. This is the only individual smoking and health case to
go to trial against either B&W or R.J. Reynolds this year. R.J.
Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJRT) is an indirect wholly owned
subsidiary of Reynolds American Inc. (NYSE:RAI). R.J. Reynolds
Tobacco Company is the second-largest tobacco company in the United
States, manufacturing about one of every three cigarettes sold in
the United States. Reynolds Tobacco's product line includes five of
the nation's 10 best-selling cigarette brands: Camel, Winston,
KOOL, Salem and Doral. For more information about RJRT, visit the
company's Web site at http://www.rjrt.com/ . DATASOURCE: R.J.
Reynolds Tobacco Company CONTACT: Ellen Wallace of R.J. Reynolds
Tobacco Company, +1-336-741-6694 Web site: http://www.rjrt.com/
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