RJ Reynolds told to pay wife of cancer victim $23.6bn

[transam]

@klaus...........

So what do you think about folk who join the military and die, they know the risks......Does everyone sue their country cos they didn't know they might die...?

Transam,

your argument is not logical. I explain my point for the third time (and then I give up): it is about punishment for lying to the consumer about the safety of their product, for falsifying research....

example: you buy paint. you ask the guy: is there lead in it. guy says: no. You ask the guy: is it dangerous for my health? guy says no. guy puts a label on the paint: this paint is good for you. You paint your house, you get sick, you die. turns out the guy lied. your widow wants to punish the guy.

(best i could come up with)

, rolox in the extreme.........If I smoke a fag do I read about stuff or do I want to smoke a fag....? .............Nooooooo, I want to smoke a fag..........

[klauskunkel]

@klaus...........

So what do you think about folk who join the military and die, they know the risks......Does everyone sue their country cos they didn't know they might die...?

Transam,

your argument is not logical. I explain my point for the third time (and then I give up): it is about punishment for lying to the consumer about the safety of their product, for falsifying research....

example: you buy paint. you ask the guy: is there lead in it. guy says: no. You ask the guy: is it dangerous for my health? guy says no. guy puts a label on the paint: this paint is good for you. You paint your house, you get sick, you die. turns out the guy lied. your widow wants to punish the guy.

(best i could come up with)

, rolox in the extreme.........If I smoke a fag do I read about stuff or do I want to smoke a fag....? .............Nooooooo, I want to smoke a fag..........

phew, I need a cigarette now!

[belg]

just make it illegal ... the pro's ( ???) being the tax , does never outweigh all the healtcare costs and in the U ES OF A , you can sell your house, to pay the doctor, if you have a heart attack or a lung transplant

[Oziex1]

I'm off to the 7 to get the mrs a pack of 20.

[chuckd]

No sympathy for the guy or his wife. All he had to do was what I did 23 years ago.

Throw the last part of a pack in the trash and never pick up another one.

[palaver]

The point of the award is to send a message to these companies.

[mercman24]

it could only happen in america, just like it said on my steam iron when i bought it, "beware this product can become hot with use, " sh* te i'm sending it back, need to get myself a "cold" iron. or better still when i burn myself sue them for milions, never heard so much rubbish in all my life.

[Jonmarleesco]

He died in 1996. The dangers associated with smoking have been trumpeted since the early sixties, if not before. If he persisted in continuing to smoke, despite the evident health issues, it's the stupid sod's own fault. A pity they don't pay more attention to the dangers of secondhand smoke, and to compensating those victims of the product of selfish stupidity, since non-smokers have little control over their public exposure to it.

[puck2]

RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company was hit with the punitive fine in addition to $16.8m (£9.8m) in compensatory damages.

I ask myself if a single person can have "compensatory damages" of 23.6 billion $$.

Even our dog would show more human intellect than this US court. Because of

Ridiculous judgment like this, and then we wonder why US businesses ship the jobs overseas, and multinationals aren't clamoring to set up operations utilizing (arguably) one of the most productive labor forces in the world...

you will never know what crazy court will adjudge. As the lawyers take a lot into their pockets and the US law or jurisdiction doesn't seem to have "normal" - i.e. sane - principles in cases of compensation be aware of of the US judicature.

For that reason alone the EU should cancel all Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiaitons. This example here shows how dangerous it is to have this kind of quarrels.

(I'm not a smoker).

[tomyummer]

So we should also sue liquor companies if your loved one is killed by drunk drivers too. Or die from kidney or liver disease?

[Naam]

The point of the award is to send a message to these companies.

who always win appeals and never pay.

[Keesters]

As an ex-smoker, stopped after a heart attack attributed to 40/day for 40 years, where can I sign up for the class action that should follow.

And to those who say you know the risk etc etc. That maybe true today but it wasn't 40 years ago when I was enticed by fancy advertising that smoking was 'cool' and became addicted. Never thought I'd be able to give up but I did, (pats self on back), however the damage was already done.

[chrisinth]

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Corporations who target minors, addict them to their product, poison them slowly and finally kill them deserve to be punished imo. Too bad it doesn't happen more often. Usually these companies are untouchable. I am surprised at a lot of your reactions. A Tobacco Company Does Not Contribute Anything Constructive To Society. It is a parasite. Punishing them is a rare pleasure.

It's really a bit the same as governments who allow the legal sale of cigarettes, knowing the possible effect it can have on an individual's health.

But that isn't going to change anytime soon, the tax generated by the sales has already been spent or earmarked.

BTW, I am a smoker myself.

[transam]

As an ex-smoker, stopped after a heart attack attributed to 40/day for 40 years, where can I sign up for the class action that should follow.

And to those who say you know the risk etc etc. That maybe true today but it wasn't 40 years ago when I was enticed by fancy advertising that smoking was 'cool' and became addicted. Never thought I'd be able to give up but I did, (pats self on back), however the damage was already done.

Are you saying you didn't think lugging on a fag all day was harmful ?...........

[ozsamurai]

So many years ago there was not the awareness as there is today on a global level. Up until the 80's and 90's cigarette companies were sponsoring sporting events, advertising everywhere, related or not, I had a really cool Marlboro man poster in my room &lt;deleted&gt; I won at a carnival. The "Governor Generals" or Health Ministers warning, would have had to be read with a microscope, mostly in nice shiny hard to read gold print on a white background. It was/is deception on their part, since they knew full well what they were pedaling. Now, I find it extremely difficult to break the cycle of nicotine, I know now, I should have never started, but bit too late for that isn't it?

This compensation package is BS for sure, but the point still stands. If I ever caught my kids smoking, god help them!

Oz

[Trouble]

The guy died in 1996. I knew at age 13 back in the late 50's that smoking was bad for your health. The guy started smoking because his friends did it and he though it would be cool. It is crap that he could not stop IF he wanted. If you smoke, it is at your own risk. If you drink too much you my just become an alcoholic and had liver damage. Everyone knows these things. Just another attempt by bottom feeding lawyers to extract money from business.

[spidermike007]

The American judicial system has been broken for a long time now. This verdict is evidence of that. Not based on lost earnings, etc. This judge obviously had an ax to grind. I am no fan of tobacco. I hate tobacco, and I hate second hand smoke. It is beyond obnoxious.

Look, the bottom line is you smoke at your own peril. Best if we all own up to our own bad habits. Tobacco is dangerous. Smoking increases your risks of cancer. It damages your lungs and countless other organs. If you are going to demonstrate the level of disrespect for your body that a smoker has to have, to smoke tobacco daily, at least be man enough, when you get lung cancer, to say I did this to myself with full knowledge of the dangers of smoking. At least do that. Spare us the horsecrap. Just die with dignity, and say on the way out, "Damn those cigarettes were sure worth it. I am happy to have exposed my wife, children, friends, and all those strangers to my horrific, super toxic second hand smoke all those years. It was all worth it". Man up. Claim responsibility. Spare us the nonsense.

Spidermike007

[manhood]

Mhhhh I am sure this only can happen in USA: does the court not realize that everybody is responsible for his own bullshit he is doing??

This country wants to be THE country in the world that gives the most liberty to do whatever he wants to do!

But does this mean you have to take idiots hand out of the sunshine so they dont get a sun burn??

POOOOR America!

[mercman24]

so this guy died 18, yes 18 years ago, ?? took her a long time to present a case ??

[Keesters]

As an ex-smoker, stopped after a heart attack attributed to 40/day for 40 years, where can I sign up for the class action that should follow.

And to those who say you know the risk etc etc. That maybe true today but it wasn't 40 years ago when I was enticed by fancy advertising that smoking was 'cool' and became addicted. Never thought I'd be able to give up but I did, (pats self on back), however the damage was already done.

Are you saying you didn't think lugging on a fag all day was harmful ?...........

As I said 40 years ago NO. I was not made aware, at that time, that smoking was harmful. In fact I was bombarded with advertising on TV, billboards, sponsored sports events. Packets carried no health warnings. My father smoked, my grandfather smoked, my uncles and some aunts smoked, some teachers smoked. Smoking was seen as no more harmful than drinking milk. You have to put things in historical perspective.

[transam]

As an ex-smoker, stopped after a heart attack attributed to 40/day for 40 years, where can I sign up for the class action that should follow.

And to those who say you know the risk etc etc. That maybe true today but it wasn't 40 years ago when I was enticed by fancy advertising that smoking was 'cool' and became addicted. Never thought I'd be able to give up but I did, (pats self on back), however the damage was already done.

Are you saying you didn't think lugging on a fag all day was harmful ?...........

As I said 40 years ago NO. I was not made aware, at that time, that smoking was harmful. In fact I was bombarded with advertising on TV, billboards, sponsored sports events. Packets carried no health warnings. My father smoked, my grandfather smoked, my uncles and some aunts smoked, some teachers smoked. Smoking was seen as no more harmful than drinking milk. You have to put things in historical perspective.

I had my first fag exactly 50 years ago and l was told by mum,

"That is not good for you, look at the colour of your fingers"..............

(She smoked)...

[mercman24]

remember my youth, my mum smoked PLAYERS WIEGHTS, come on, i'm 67 now and we called "WOODBINES and CAPTAIN "full strength" " cancer sticks" so we knew all about the risks, i was about 14 then, two of my mates were farmers sons, always had money, i use to go into the shop and say "10 weights for our mum please Gordon" , and then hand them over,and get a couple of fags for my trouble,one day my mates mum caught me smoking on our corner where we use to gather, told my mum, she said " i rather he smoked out in the open and not burn someones place down, reply was " oh my Brian doesnt smoke" and sure as eggs are eggs a few months later he burnt down his uncles pig styes by smoking, aah happy memories, oh when i reached 16 i never smoked again,