Tobacco Companies Not Liable to Missouri Hospitals

Bloomberg News and the New York Times published an article yesterday detailing a Missouri jury's findings in a lawsuit against Phillip Morris, R.J. Reynolds, Lorillard, and other cigarette makers.  Roughly forty MIssouri hospitals alleged that the tobacco companies manipulated the nicotine in cigarettes, misrepresented the health effects of smoking, and requested more than $455 million in damages.  After deliberating for seven days, the jury rejected the hospitals' claims.  The hospitals are still deciding whether to appeal.

The Wall Street Journal Law Blog has a related article, The Best and Worst Weeks for Big Tobacco.

ECB