Philip Morris USA Wins Missouri “Lights” Class Action Jury Trial
April 07 2016 - 6:48PM
Business Wire
After deliberating for less than an hour, a St. Louis jury today
returned a verdict for Philip Morris USA (PM USA) in a Missouri
class-action “Lights” cigarette trial. In so doing, the jury
rejected plaintiffs’ request for as much as $1.8 billion in
compensatory damages plus punitive damages.
“The jury correctly rejected plaintiffs’ allegations of
misrepresentation and damages,” said Murray Garnick, Altria Client
Services senior vice president and associate general counsel,
speaking on behalf of PM USA. “Over the years, we have been very
successful in defending these cases on a variety of legal
grounds.”
The case was filed in 2000. Plaintiffs alleged that PM USA
violated the state’s Merchandising Practices Act in marketing
Marlboro Lights. Class members include Missouri residents who
purchased Marlboro Lights from 1995-2003.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prohibits the use of
“Lights” and other descriptors unless a manufacturer receives
authorization to use the terms. The FDA began regulating tobacco
products in 2009 with the passage of the Family Smoking Prevention
and Tobacco Control Act.
This case is Larsen v. Philip Morris USA, case number
002-00406-02.
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